Snead arrived with one of the most aggressive mindsets in the NFL, which has led to a unique approach in changing a culture of losing. That aggression was obvious from the beginning. One of Snead’s first major moves was engineering a blockbuster trade with the Redskins in just his second month on the job.
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Though the Rams had quarterback Sam Bradford on their roster, they were able to convince the Redskins that they would be able to move on from Bradford and instead draft Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The result was a heist. In a trade with Washington, Snead dropped four slots in the draft and picked up two additional first-round picks, plus one second-rounder. Though many of the players the Rams ended up drafting did not become stars, it was the first sign of the way they would explore every avenue in rebuilding the organization.
Trades have become a staple for the Rams. They have brought in notable players in exchange for mid-round picks, and they have pulled off rare player-for-player trades. They also have traded away players for low-level picks rather than cutting them for nothing.
And when they were not rebuilding fast enough, the Rams again turned to a trade, this time making their own move for a QB. In 2016, they moved up 15 slots for the right to draft Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick. They gave up an additional first-round pick as well as two second-rounders — one of which came from a trade of Bradford — and two third-rounders. It was a good use of assets and a far lesser price than what they had demanded from the Redskins years prior.
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Most teams either like to spend in free agency or prefer to spend on their own rosters, but few do both. The Rams over the past few years have looked everywhere for talent. The results have been mixed, but while some bad signings (Tavon Austin, Alec Ogletree, etc.) would have deterred other teams from such an approach, they didn’t stop the Rams. The team knew unfortunate failures were part of the deal with risk-taking.
The Rams’ cap management also has been interesting. Over the last four years, they have operated near the bottom of the NFL in cap space, at times even needing to work minor contract restructures late in the year just to deal with in-season injuries. This is often a sign of poor cap management, but it can also be strategic.
Back when the Rams were still struggling to win games under then-coach Jeff Fisher, they were structuring many deals in a way that tied large portions of guarantees into second-year roster bonuses, plus prorated signing and option bonuses. The approach compromised their salary cap for the long term, but the Rams knew that whenever they would be able to upgrade at QB, they would be able to do everything they could to surround him with talent.
That strategy paid off in 2018.
The most unique trait of Snead and Rams’ front office, though, is that they have not gotten complacent with their roster. They let go of their top QBs (Nick Foles and Bradford), top WRs (Sammy Watkins, Austin and Kenny Britt), top CBs (Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson), top LB (Ogletree), top edge-rushers (Robert Quinn and William Hayes) and top safety (TJ McDonald). That’s almost unheard of for a team generally considered to be improving. Such teams usually double down on their contracts and try to pad the roster with draft picks.
The Rams, though, probably would not have reached Super Bowl 53 had they not traded Ogletree and Quinn and allowed Watkins and Johnson to walk in free agency. They shed about $17 million in cap space with the two trades and about $30 million in potential contracts for the two free agents. Those decisions allowed the Rams to trade for Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib; they allowed the Rams to sign Ndamukong Suh and have a few dollars left to aid in the extensions of Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley.
The Rams’ decisions relating to the cap and their contracts have allowed them to splurge for a superstar lineup. In the last two years, through extensions, trades and free agency, they have added more than $131 million in contracts that average at least $5 million per year, with most coming in 2018. Below is the list of players acquired during that period.
With some shrewd contract decisions, and given the benefit of having a rookie QB with an annual salary of just under $7 million, the Rams were able to tip-toe the fine line of signing big-name talent from the outside while also keeping happy the big names they drafted. Of the 31 Rams players who played at least 300 snaps this season, 15 began their careers on different teams.
The contracts for those players average $6.03 million per season. The only other NFL teams with 10 or more non-homegrown players who average more money per year on their deals are the Jaguars, Bears, Vikings, Saints, Buccaneers and Giants. The Rams pretty much hold the same philosophy — pay big or don’t pay at all — with their own players, too.
That paints the best picture as to why the Rams are different than other playoff teams. They rank fifth in the NFL with a differential of just one between homegrown and non-homegrown players who played at least 300 snaps in 2018. Of the 11 teams with the smallest differentials, three made the playoffs. The other seven playoff teams primarily featured players they drafted — the more traditional path to the playoffs.
The 2018 Rams ranked fourth in the NFL in the amount of players on their roster making at least $10 million per season; the only team ranked in the top five that made the playoffs.
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Now everyone is seeing the Rams’ work as a model of how to build a team, and the focus is hiring a bright young coach and drafting a QB. But maybe the focus should be building a team of stars from both inside and outside the organization rather than settling for one or the other; remaining competitive during a rebuilding stage and strategically planning for the future.
Regardless of the Super Bowl result, don’t expect the Rams’ approach to change next season, when they likely will have close to $30 million in cap room and plenty of flexibility.
This might be the legacy the Rams leave when other teams take a step back and evaluate just how they got to the Super Bowl.
