NFC West Hierarchy, Rams GM Les Snead, OC Mike LaFleur and Darious Williams

Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue are live from Rams Training Camp! The show starts off with Rams play-by-play voice J.B. Long to talk about the NFC West and tell you who they think is the favorite in the division (01:00). After the break, Rams General Manger Les Snead (17:45), Rams Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur (32:12), and Rams cornerback Darious Williams (45:00) join the show!

Note: time codes approximate. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we officially are on the
road for our training camp tour. I am Greg Rosenthal
here with my friend Jordan Rodrigue and my other friend
JB Long, the voice of the Los Angeles Rams. We
just saw JB walking around we said we we got
to get him.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
On the show.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Also my friend No, I.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Mean that's important, but not as important. Welcome, JB.

Speaker 4 (00:30):
I appreciate both of your friendship and your appearance. A
couple of g's over there and you and Jordan. I've
been living vicariously through your world travels and your culinary
experiences and your book recommendations. So thank you for my
off season turning deep cuts.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, shout out to Yeah, anyone wanting a book recommendation.
The Safe Keep is now up there as my top
book of the year.

Speaker 5 (00:51):
By the way, one thing I love about JB is
he doesn't just do He's like the nicest person you'll
ever meet in your life. He doesn't just do normal complements.
He does deep cut, very specific compliments that make you
feel incredibly seen.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
It shows.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
It shows that he's actually the work to be friends
with me disclosure and.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Also with me.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
Yeah, you guys said that I could have a fifty
pack of fresh NFL Daily Index cards if I just
said one or two nice things about you.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
They are they are segments, and we're going to be
using them.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
When I say we're on a tour, it's one show
a week where we're on the road all the teams
that are in the Los Angeles area except for the Chargers,
because we know you guys hate the Chargers. So we
got the Saints next week, and we got the Cowboys
in a couple of weeks, So looking forward to that.
This show, we're going to talk a little bit about
the NFC West. Overall, we're going to have some great
guests that are with the Rams. Less Snead will be

(01:45):
joining us, the general manager of the Rams, the offensive
coordinator Mike LeFleur, and cornerback Darius Williams. Looking forward to
all that, And before we get to the NFC West talk,
just because I like to just make sure that the
listeners are totally covered, a couple little items of news
we'll hit before we talk to NFC West.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Courtland Sutton got that money today. We'll see what the
details are.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
The devil's in the details, but some guaranteed money into
next year, so that's great that he'll be staying with Denver.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
There's more on the Christian Wilkins front. That was reportedly
a kiss on the head that started this whole kerfuffle.
We'll see.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I think there's more to the story there, but the
Raiders are coming after Christian Wilkins's money. The Titans waived
Traylon Burks, and I'm not going to get too much
more into it because we're going to go through every
NFC team on Tuesday, and if there's anything big from
the AFC, we'll hit that. Let's talk NFC West. I'm
going to start the overall conversation with the fact that
I think this and then NFC North are the two

(02:41):
most fascinating divisions in the NFL because they satisfy this
for me, I could see any team winning the division,
and I could see any of these teams making the playoffs.
I guess that's incumbent on the first part of that.
Do you think JB the Rams are the favorites in
the NFC West? Do you think they view themselves as
the favorite?

Speaker 4 (03:01):
Wow, there's a lot of loaded elements to all of that.
I like that you put it side by side with
the North because I would agree that the outside perception
not living in this division is that that is the
best group of four, and I probably wouldn't argue against
it unless you prodded me to do so. I would
say the argument for the West is probably the quarterbacks.
You know, if you were to power rank the quarterbacks,

(03:22):
who would you rather ride with the Sam Darnolds and
the Kyler Murray's or the unknown? Still, I would say
with the sophomores in that North, I would have my preference,
but I wouldn't I wouldn't say you're wrong. The other
thing is I think you were alluding to the same
thing which I feel, and that is there are four
teams in this division with full blown playoff expectations, and

(03:44):
there could be trouble for those that don't make the playoffs.
And I would say there are at least two with
legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
So you think there's a big difference, then, so who
are the two?

Speaker 4 (03:53):
I think the Rams and the forty nine ers. Okay,
And to land on the question, are the Rams the favorite?
Las Vegas I said, I think says no. I think
what's reflected there is if everyone is in agreement that
the Rams are in a better place in terms of
their roster. The forty nine Ers had the edge in
terms of schedule, and the difference there is probably on

(04:14):
the margins where the Rams, by virtue of finishing first
last year, they have to play the Ravens, the Eagles,
and the Lions as opposed to the Browns, the Giants.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
And the Bears.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
It makes a huge difference. But to touch on something
you just said there, one of the reasons I said
I could see any team winning the division is is
there a separation do you think between those two and
the other two, Because I don't think the Cardinals view
it that way. The numbers, like we had Aaron shots
on last week and in Vegas, actually have the forty

(04:47):
nine ers as a decent favorite, the Rams and the
Cardinals kind of behind them. I think the average person
would agree with you, But in my mind shake them
all up. I think the NFC North, for instance, is better,
but I think the NFC West is more unpredictable. Even
though like we ended last season, Jordan probably thinking that
the Rams are going to be one of the favorites
in the entire NFL.

Speaker 5 (05:08):
Yeah, and I think you still have to make the
argument that they are right. I mean, you saw it
with everything they did in either free agency or the
draft itself. JB. We talked about this at the draft house.
It was a team that has very few pieces of
the puzzle to actually fill, and they went about their
draft in filling depth, filling. You know, the player that

(05:31):
Sean McVay really wanted to add to his offense for
the President in the future in Terence Ferguson, the running
back that gives them a little bit of a change
up to who they already have in the room, the
depth that inside linebacker. Shout out to Brenda Song and
it really feels like that's a team that knows what
they're about and understands, especially with who they paid Punaford,

(05:51):
Devonte Adams and getting Matthew Stafford back. The second that
they got him back, they were able to set about
their A plus plan of staying in contention. But I
also posit that these two teams, the Rams and the
forty nine ers are sort of running back in ethos
and identity a continuity that they are very comfortable with.
Getting Robert Solid back in San Francisco is huge for

(06:12):
Kyle Shanahan, and even though on paper, their roster looks
like a either returning from injuries or b new faces
or guys who you're not quite sure what they are yet.
This is a really, really strong identity up north and
it has been in every year, especially after bouncing back
from a down year, Whereas the Cardinals and the Seahawks
are improving teams, but they're improving dramatically in my opinion,

(06:35):
that's why this is such a chaotic space totally.

Speaker 4 (06:37):
I think you and I were both probably a year
ahead on the Cardinals if memory serves, we kind of
anticipated in that last year would be a year that
they would take the lead.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
That's a good friend right there.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
And look no.

Speaker 4 (06:46):
Further than how they played the Rams, because you were
at both of those games. Week two was not good
for Los Angeles, and even deep in the schedule, like
you know, a fastball off train McBride's ear hold, and
who knows, we could be telling a completely different story
about Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. So I'll always feel
like under this leadership group, they're a year away. I
believe in the blocks that Seattle is stacking. While there's

(07:08):
some uncertainly about the changes they made at quarterback, and
receiver and coordinator. I get it, but it feels like
they are playoff worthy. And I'll say one more time,
the Rams better win their head to head games against
the forty nine ers. They better do it because I'm
not sure who else is going to and if they,
if the forty nine ers don't win ten games, I'll
have a Barnes and Noble gift card waiting for them.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
Okay, another reason to root against forty nine ers. I
didn't really have any before, but now I definite.

Speaker 6 (07:33):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
I can be bought.

Speaker 5 (07:35):
Yes, that's what Greg needs. More books, very very easily.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
Are this Barnes and Almost still a thing?

Speaker 3 (07:39):
It's yeah, newspapers.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, so wonderful they're coming back. It's been great. I
guess I look at the Seahawks as the.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
Best defense in the division. And we were talking a
little bit. I mean, you think the defense is maybe
helped define this division.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Now, I think by the end of this season, more
so than us talking about any of these offenses in
the NFC West, we are going to be studying, parsing,
picking apart, and clamoring over all of these defenses. I
see such specialness in every single one of these defenses, yes,
including the forty nine ers that are in a bit

(08:19):
of a rebuild slash reinforced identity with Bob Sala up there.
But the Cardinals defense has dramatically improved from when Jonathan
Gannon and Nick Rallis came over. Everybody knows their role,
they know what works. They practice against one of the
more multiple and physical teams in the entire NFL, let
alone the NFC West. The Rams defense is so much fun,

(08:42):
young stars everywhere. They finally got Poona Ford, who they've
been coveting for like so many years. At this point,
as you know, JB and and they are, they could.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Have just like paid them three or four million dollars
like at many points along the way.

Speaker 5 (08:54):
So yes, they could have, but it's not always their
call and so and so. But it's a really exciting group.
This front seven especially is so exciting. They're going to
be doing a lot of really interesting things under Chrishula.
You started seeing it coming along, that hybridization of the
Fangio system plus what Chrishula likes to run, plus some

(09:15):
of this Minter McDonald system as well. It's mashing it
all together and seeing what works with these hyper athletes
and I love what Seattle's done on defense. I think
that they're going to be one of the best defenses
in the league, but they also have to portend with
the rest of the NFC West, And that's why I
think this is we're going to be talking about the
defensive mastery and evolution of these groups and what they

(09:37):
can inform for the rest of the league after the
season has small sample.

Speaker 4 (09:40):
Size alert, but I think from the rams lens, you
have to hope that even if Seattle does continue to
take strides defensively, and I believe they will, whether it
was in Baltimore a couple of years ago or in
a couple of games, head to head, Sean McVeigh and
Matthew Stafford and even Jimmy Garoppolo have had offensive success
against Seattle, So they have to hope that that continues.
And then you know who's playing quarterback there now, and

(10:00):
that did not go Sam Donald's way last January.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
Right, Look, Sam Donald and their offense is probably the
biggest question. Probably the worst side of the ball in
this entire division is maybe the Seahawks offense, which is
crazy because they could be average or above average. But
I look at all the other groups as above average.
I just worry a little bit. My daughter roots for
the Rams, and I do worry about expectations and how

(10:27):
a couple of years ago the Rams came into the
season without a lot of expectations, and last year there
were certainly more. And I think they felt good about
how this season went overall, and that they were right
there with the Eagles. You hear them talking a lot
about that this year, and that this year you get
the tougher schedule, you get the expectations. I hear my
friend Nick Wright saying they're like a top five team

(10:49):
in the NFL. That all makes sense to me. Their
quarterback is not practicing yet, he's thirty seven years old.

Speaker 7 (10:56):
Like that.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
That's a little bit concerning. And I don't see, and
I'm putting my cards on the table. I just don't
see much of a difference between one and four here,
Like it's the NFL, and yeah, on paper, like there
are things high level that the Rams should feel better
about than some of the other teams. Certainly their coach
and if their quarterbacks healthy. But that was the worst

(11:19):
regular season I think I've seen out of Matthew Stafford
in a while. And I just think the other teams
are good. Like if I'm power ranking, i'd have to
do the list. I think it's for the top twelve
to fourteen teams in the entire NFL, and none of them,
to me, are at the you know, Bills or Ravens
Chiefs type of level. So that's what I worry about

(11:39):
for you and all these people here as.

Speaker 4 (11:42):
A RAM, all the things you said, and there are
legitimate concerns. I think the range of outcomes is still
pretty wide for the twenty twenty five Los Angeles Rams.
But of all the things you mentioned, they're the thing
that concerns me least is the expectations piece, because of
the leadership of this organization, because of the veterans that
they have in that room, because of how good the
vibes are here, and the fact that I've seen them
go to the Super Bowl a couple of times during

(12:03):
years in which they were expected to be good and
to liver on expectations. And this is Los Angeles and
they've had a pretty good run here of sustained expectations.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Firee, and I like it.

Speaker 5 (12:14):
I'm not totally disagreeing with you. I think you made
some really good points, but I would actually add one
thing to your list. I think that they're better at
handling high expectations because of what they went through in
twenty twenty two, when expectations to quote unquote run it
back were as high as possibly could be, maybe even
higher than when they first traded for Matthew Stafford, before

(12:35):
anyone had ever seen like the incredible alien things he
could do with the football out in LA and the
expectations were with the contracts that they executed with the
people that they went after very quickly in the off season,
were to run it back and then it imploded.

Speaker 3 (12:54):
But I think that.

Speaker 5 (12:55):
Because collectively a lot of the people here in the
front office, on the scouting staff, some on the coaching staff,
especially who he's got it as a defensive coordinator, assistant
head coach Aubrey Pleasant as well, some of the things
that they went through together, they understand. I think the
danger of those high expectations and maybe some of the
traps along the way to avoid.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
There aren't many shows that can make me feel imposter
syndrome when talking about the Los Angeles Rams, but this
is this is the Jordan and.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
As always, yeah, she she mentioned the front office of
the Rams. We're gonna hear from Leslie in just a
second before we let go of JB. You're here every day.
H Jordan's been here as well, but they're just like.

Speaker 4 (13:37):
We miss her on the day she's not.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
Is there like a player or a little bit of
a trend that you'd like to tell our listeners about
that you've seen, that that you find interesting, just something
to maybe watch about this.

Speaker 4 (13:49):
I'm in the low hanging fruit. But do you want
to talk to Bonte Adams at all here?

Speaker 2 (13:53):
If you want, let's talk about him playing looking fresh.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
More than his numbers would say, yes, but playing more
than and I think the outside would expect out of
the slot.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
I'll be very curious to see how the Rams deploy
him this year, and I think they have a lot
of optionality there. I do think this group, as currently constituted,
has a chance to be the best pass catching unit
the Rams have had since OBJ crumpled to the turf
at so far in their Super Bowl win.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
I think it fits.

Speaker 4 (14:22):
I think they have a really high ceiling and I
think as it pertains the NFC West was I know,
as kind of the premise of this conversation, I think
you could tell another story of this division purely by
looking at tight ends, which is one of Jordan's favorite
things to do.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
Let's rephrase that.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
No, I think it's great. Sorry, it's great.

Speaker 4 (14:38):
Poor burbage like you got.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
With the one who got weird about it.

Speaker 5 (14:43):
The I had to try to catch him. He's so nice.
I just had to try to catch him.

Speaker 4 (14:47):
Jordan, you got a future Hall of Famer. You got
a guy who was I think the highest paid tight
end in football for a minute. You've got two other
teams that drafted rookies in this class, and specifically with
to the Rams, you had the least productive group in
the entire National Football League until Tyler Higbee came back.
To see him out here healthy, to move away from

(15:10):
Cooper Cup and to be bringing in Devonte Adams. How
much do you use tight ends in what capacity? I
think that's all to be determined, and maybe your future
guests on this show will give you some insight there.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
Now.

Speaker 1 (15:21):
I love that point, and they have the second round
pick Ferguson, and look, I agree with you. I think
it could be better than that receiver group in the
Super Bowl, because I the one thing about the last
few years I haven't understand is people talking about that
like DeVante Adams has slipped if he has like it
slipped to still being a top fifteen receiver. So having

(15:42):
those two wide outs together alone makes them as good
at a group as possible. And then the depth I
think at the tight end position, and obviously Toutuo's been here.

Speaker 5 (15:50):
Well, that's what Sean McVay said, right JB. He wanted
to be more versatile, more multiple on offense than he
was able to be over the last couple of years.
And we say, wow, that's an interesting comment to make
because they did get way more multiple in the run game.
They got way more versatile in the run game. But
they I think were just trying to recalibrate and reconfigure

(16:11):
an identity in the past game and they wanted to
build more layers into the pass game. That is really
the reason why they went out and got DeVante Adams
is to build those layers.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Similar to the first half of that Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
Cut this out because I know you're running along here,
but when you have the tree that spread throughout this
division and this sport, how do you stay ahead of
the game. You can't just keep coming up with new
football I think some of it has to be personnel driven,
and I think Devonte Adams is a unique offensive piece
in the context of this offense that helps them stay
different than they were in previous iterations. So I think

(16:45):
it refreshes Sean. I think it's all of those things.

Speaker 1 (16:47):
I think they are the most likely NFC West team
to win or play in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
I really do.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
But I just think the range of outcomes is a
lot and I and it's not just the back injury,
but I probably am a little more concerned than the
average fan on the stafford of it, all of getting
through those seventeen games at a really high level that
they're gonna need to win those regular season games because
it's so difficult.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
We will see.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
It is hope season. It is beautiful out here. You
can feel the ocean breeze. I mean, you guys better
stay at LMU long term. I don't think you're going.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
To but I love this. Let's hot on.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yes, I know you literally walked here. If you do
to camp every day. It is a home game for JB.
Let's take a quick break and we will hear from
less sneed On the other side, we are back on

(17:53):
NFL Daily and we are so excited to be joined
by the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, Les Snead,
who insisted before we started taping that he wants to
hold an official NFL Daily card.

Speaker 7 (18:09):
No where all the answers are.

Speaker 1 (18:11):
What if you had written something on that note card?
What would it say to be prepared for an interview
like this?

Speaker 7 (18:17):
Let tell them nothing.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
That's good?

Speaker 7 (18:22):
You know.

Speaker 8 (18:22):
I was looking, although Jordan is like, we're in church.

Speaker 7 (18:27):
Now, we're going to start giggling, and she's starting to last.

Speaker 6 (18:30):
This could message.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
Guys know each other too. I can't.

Speaker 3 (18:33):
I can't even look at him.

Speaker 5 (18:34):
I'm just happy he's not chomping on a freaking piece
of gum right now.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
I was so worried about that.

Speaker 7 (18:39):
That's wrong with gum.

Speaker 1 (18:40):
That would have been disrespectful on a podcast. I think
it's like a power move. If you're chewing gum on
some level, I think you're saying to the host, I
don't fully respect it.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
That's how I would interpret it.

Speaker 8 (18:50):
Who's someone that is known for chewing gum. It's got
to be a baseball somebody in baseball big League choose some.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
Manag cal but he takes it out for them. Okay,
that is he owns that he really doesn't like it.

Speaker 7 (19:02):
Yeah, I don't want to follow in his footsteps with
the gum.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
We had you back on on the Around the NFL
podcast back in the day, and it got me thinking that,
you know, you've been in this job for a while.
Obviously back to Saint Louis, I did the math. Uh,
this will be your fourteenth season. There's only one general
manager in the league if we're not counting owners. I'm
not counting Jerry Jones or Mike Becky.

Speaker 7 (19:21):
He counts the title, he doesn't count.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah, only one general manager in the league, uninterrupted, has
had the job longer than you, Lestnie.

Speaker 2 (19:30):
That's Mickey Loomis.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
Howie's close, but they like moved him into a closet
for three years or whatever was going on. So, like,
what has been the secret to making it last that
long in a league where you just don't see runs
that that last that long?

Speaker 8 (19:44):
I wish I knew that answer, U, But at the
end of the day, I think it's probably coming to work,
keeping the main thing the main thing, and making sure
you're surrounded bout a lot of quality people. At the
end of the day, the Los Ange Jesus RAMS is
a collective of a bunch of special people or people

(20:06):
with special gifts, edges, things that differentiate them, and we're
trying to we're trying to engineer it's a collective that's competent,
that's very competent, that's highly competent in a.

Speaker 7 (20:18):
Thirty two team league.

Speaker 8 (20:20):
So that that's one of the keys is making sure
there's a lot of people not only that bring an
edge to the RAMS, but are willing to at some
level along the way sacrifice for the good of the
Los Angeles Rams.

Speaker 5 (20:37):
We were just at some we were talking to Darius
Williams and he was reiterating some of our opinion that
you guys told the league and told the fans, told
us in the media kind of what you were and
what you planned to be this offseason with some of
the moves you made in free agency Punaford, Devonte Adams,

(20:59):
the draft, the way you drafted, drafting for depth and
key areas, drafting for a change up, a little bit
of a change up skill set in other areas, drafting
and plucking te bring people in in free agency as
if you're a contention team, believe you're a contention team.
But it started with making sure Matthew Stafford was back
in the building. And you called it a vow renewal.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
Which I think was the quote that lasts from it.
What did that set off.

Speaker 5 (21:27):
In terms of the ripple effect for going about maybe
your A plus plan in free agency and then the
draft and when will we see him throw you'd like
I do that in there at the end.

Speaker 8 (21:39):
I like that that Tom hotail. When we see him
throw it, you can tell he's chomping at the bid.
I was joking with him today as he was at practice,
and there has been some times where standing around a
practice can be a little bit of a net negative.
Your hamstrings get tight, but he's he's you can tell
he's antsy, he wants to get out. The key is
is when we renewed our vowels, we then knew okay,

(22:04):
we as as you mentioned, you call it contenders. There's
a there's an element of what window you in the
last few years as we've remodeled this thing back when
you were covering us as a beat writer and since
you've moved on to the big time, so we were
on a zoom and they were like you were rebuilding
I'm like, this is a remodel. We got Matthew Stafford
and they're like, no, you're rebuilding, And you know, I

(22:25):
was trying to you know, but they weren't.

Speaker 7 (22:26):
They weren't.

Speaker 8 (22:27):
I say they are writers because so we had fun
talking about that. The point I'm trying to make is
we have efficacy in that in both years we've started
in a hole, both years we've got out of that hole.
One year we've made the playoffs. One year we've won
the division. So there's an f Now again, that means nothing.
All that does is show that the core we have

(22:50):
knows they can go compete for a division.

Speaker 7 (22:53):
It means nothing in.

Speaker 8 (22:56):
Twenty twenty five because we haven't kicked off yet, we
hadn't played a game yet, We aren't who we are
going to do yet. But when Matthew came back and
we said, you know what, hey, let's try to go
do something special whatever that is. Again we're going to
take a moment moment, day to day, and then that
just again sets the blueprint of what you might do
next to add fill in holes whatever you want to

(23:19):
call it.

Speaker 7 (23:19):
In our continuing of the remodel.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
To that, like when did DeVante come on your radar?
Is that something where your pro personnel department already thinking
he's possibly gone available or looking at him during the
season and or what point in the off season are
you thinking like we can maybe get this Yeah, I think,
I think.

Speaker 8 (23:36):
Again, they were going through a regime change in New York,
the Jets their newest contract situation, So there's an element
of this person might or has a chance to come
available depending on what they do there, and again maybe
what they do with the with their let's call it
what a reimagining.

Speaker 7 (23:57):
Of their regime there.

Speaker 8 (23:59):
So you always prepare, but until he's free, or until
it's communicated he is going to be free, that's when
you go, you know what, there's an opportunity here that's
presented itself, and do we want to take advantage of it.

Speaker 5 (24:14):
Le's one of the themes of just not only the
football side, but also the scout scouting, a talent identification sides.
Over the past couple of years in this building has
been sort of this fluidity or able to shape shift,
able to evolve as the league evolves and changes and
challenge challenges you guys in certain ways. In both of
those areas, what do you think it is about that

(24:38):
sort of collective personality, like where does that come from?
I know you have it and Sean has it, but
how does it really kind of permeate? How do you
guys effectively get everybody to be of that.

Speaker 8 (24:50):
Really good question. I'm not sure it's interesting when you
are who you are, you don't. I think it's as
simple as this, and a lot of teams try to
do it.

Speaker 6 (24:59):
We try.

Speaker 8 (25:00):
I call it if you're we've all seen it in
the NFL, whether it's a certain player or concept. Some
team's going to present it for the first time and
there's going to be an element. A lot of teams
are copying that, and if you're copying it, you're already behind.
But that concept can live for a little bit. But
even on the course of eighteen week seventeen game season,

(25:25):
if that concept is really punishing opponents, people are going
to try to, let's call it, suffocate that concept. So
you're always just naturally in a thirty two team lead
where the margin of victory and marginal loss is not
a lot of points. So it's just in your DNA
if you get in this that okay, we have to

(25:47):
somehow attempt to stay ahead of the curve. And the
interesting thing is you're not sure when you try to
stay ahead whether it's going to work or not, but
you do know staying pat and doing the same thing
is probably going eventually if we were going to catch up
with the improbably passionate.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Jordan actually went back and listened to the old interviews
who had done on our old podcast before, and it
got me thinking on the way here too, is there
such a thing as watching too much tape? Because to me,
that's that's too much preparation. She doesn't need to go
listen to the old interviews. She knows you, she knows
the rams, Like, what is that? Is there such a
thing in your business watching too much tape at a

(26:23):
certain point?

Speaker 8 (26:24):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (26:24):
There?

Speaker 8 (26:24):
Probably is an element of paralysis by analysis. I think
we were having our kind of front office get together
before we all disperse, or a lot of our guys
dispersed to go do their thing preparing for the draft
or or in the pro scoutting department. But at the
end of the day we did joke though that kind
of toward the end there when you get into the playoffs,

(26:47):
and it could be it could be Oregon versus Ohio State,
and because that game was recent and it was a
big game and there's a lot of players in it,
you end up thinking, like, boy, we watched a lot
of tape, but really it was the Oregon House State
game a thousand times, or I remember the year before
Michigan Washington, Washington, Texas, those final four games. Because it's

(27:11):
when you get everybody involved, it's like, oh, we want
to go to we just saw that game on Television's
good and usually there's a lot of players on it.

Speaker 7 (27:17):
So the answer to your question is preparation is key.

Speaker 8 (27:20):
There is an element where okay, just just you know,
put the clicker down, make a decision.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
It was a gettled yeah, and then direct way. It
just for me to like take a little shot at Jordan.
But I think you she's probably very well following what
it says on that note card that you just threw down.

Speaker 7 (27:36):
You got to throw it down and then you just
gotta go.

Speaker 1 (27:40):
It was very entertaining, but you gave away nothing talking
about the draft. It did make me think about your guys' situation.

Speaker 7 (27:46):
What if I took your card.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's fine, take it, do it.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
No, there's nothing bad on there, but no I is
there a little feeling of you that's going to feel
bad this year rooting again your old friends Raheem Morris
and the Atlanta Falcons because you have this extra first
round pick. And let's be real if that pick, the
higher it is, the better it is for Los Angeles

(28:12):
Rams And and will that possibly change, like how you're
evaluating this draft in general and business business And yes,
so you won't feel bad rooting business business.

Speaker 7 (28:23):
I didn't tell you whether i'd feel.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
Bad or yeah.

Speaker 5 (28:26):
Yeah, I think I think we could discern the answer
based on your facial expression. I will say a couple
of people you might have to be rooting against, whether
it's during the season or in the draft. You got
a bit of a GM tree, an executive tree at
this point.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
Brad Holmes in Detroit.

Speaker 5 (28:43):
What I think is so cool is how he and
Dan Campbell built that team together very methodically, sort of
into a crescendo that it is now. And then James
Gladstone in Jacksonville for the first time friend of.

Speaker 3 (28:56):
The show been on the show.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
I mean, you're welcome, You're always welcome to come on.

Speaker 8 (29:03):
We could go back that Jordan. James is Jordan's favorite.

Speaker 3 (29:08):
I have no favorites.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
I have no.

Speaker 8 (29:10):
Favorite in the in the pulling, like are we gonna
pull against right when we go to London?

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Business is business, like I want.

Speaker 7 (29:17):
We want to punch James. Jordan's pulling for James.

Speaker 3 (29:20):
Business is business.

Speaker 7 (29:22):
You know what, I'm gonna go there, You get a
lot the hurt. Probably one of the toughest things to
do in sports. It's it's go somewhere and engineer and identity.

Speaker 8 (29:32):
Now they're just starting in Jacksonville, but going to brad
and and his partnership with Dan and again everyone else
who's been through there and now they have two head coaches,
you know, and band and air and uh in Chicago
and New York. But to go and do that, that's
easier said than done. Give them credit because now you

(29:55):
it just fills Detroit what they've done, right, I don't know.
I don't know if we could, I could maybe chat,
GPT could articulate it, but it fails.

Speaker 3 (30:04):
We're very anti anti, very anti.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
To the show. We've decided to take that stance.

Speaker 5 (30:09):
I don't know how our stand that, but I will
I will ask, I will say less. It is interesting
because everybody does it in a different way, and I
guess I wonder as we kind of get you out
of here and thank you for your time today, what's
one thing maybe you told them about that, not not
the team building, not the pitfalls, not the things to

(30:29):
look out for, you know, not the doing the media
all the time, whatever, that the advice that maybe you
gave each of each of them, respectively about what it
takes and what it really means to build an identity
because you and Sean did that when you guys went
out and hired Sean.

Speaker 8 (30:42):
It's interesting. The number one is be go, be authentic,
be who you are. Again, in both cases, you're going
to partner with a with a head coach who's going
to bring it all the life or that is his
and his staffs responsibility to bring it life. So that
part maartnership has to begin and then and then they
have to combine the DNA's and engineer.

Speaker 7 (31:05):
That's number one.

Speaker 8 (31:06):
You can't take the RAMS and take it somewhere else
because because Sean and my party we're and everyone in
the building we're nine to ten however many years into it,
so there you can't go and do what we're doing now.

Speaker 7 (31:21):
They're day one. That takes time. So that's that's the
two thing.

Speaker 8 (31:24):
Be who you are partner with, Uh right, your head coach,
y'all come up with who y'all are going to be
that organization is going to be under their leadership.

Speaker 7 (31:37):
And then number two remember just don't you can't just
take us there?

Speaker 1 (31:42):
And number three like, don't you can't beat us in
London because that would That feels like already you're the
one that brought it up. It feels like you're competitive.
You're competitive just over trying to be Jordan's favorite. No
way you want to lose to.

Speaker 7 (31:53):
Oh yeah, I'd lose some sleep.

Speaker 5 (31:57):
Paralysis by over analysis.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
That is less.

Speaker 1 (31:59):
The general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, we really
do appreciate your time, and we're going to have your
offensive coordinator, smart man by the name Mike Lafleur, coming
up next.

Speaker 3 (32:09):
So I'm on a card.

Speaker 7 (32:10):
He was on a card.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
Here with Mike Lafleur, the third year offensive coordinator of
the Los Angeles Rams, fixing the mic before he says
he's he's coachable, so we will learn on this interview.
It is great to have you on the show. And
I'm looking out as you guys are going through you
walk through, and I'm thinking, what is it like to
be in your position and to be coaching DeVante, Adams

(32:34):
and Pukinakua at the same time, And how are you
looking to kind of make them the best that they
can be together?

Speaker 9 (32:41):
Yeah, I don't think I have too much to do
in that in terms of making them the best they
can be, right because those guys are you know, self
motivated and they just love being out there. They're incredible
football players. But is uh it's cool to have those
guys out there and with two to two, I mean
those three right there, I think they play so well
off each other in terms of what their skill sets are,

(33:01):
and I know our quarterbacks like to have them.

Speaker 5 (33:04):
Mike, You've coached so many receivers, so many different types
of receivers. I know you like to learn just as
much as you.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
Like to coach.

Speaker 5 (33:11):
What is Davante done through his movements, his actions, the
way he's interacted with Puka, the way that he just
operates from start to finish up a practice and preparation.
What have you kind of learned from him and how.

Speaker 9 (33:23):
He likes to be Yeah, I think you know, I've
been fortunate enough to be around a lot of really
good receivers and you know, dating back with Julio and
Miles Austin twenty fourteen, and there's so many great receivers
in this league. But being able to see all these
different guys and now to be with Davante obviously had
a semi history with them because obviously paying attention to

(33:44):
him in Green Bay and always thought he was one
of the best, if not the best receivers. And what
I've learned at you know, north of thirty now is
the Duke can still play, you know, And what's really
cool about him and what I see from in my opinion,
the best receivers is just the consistency and how they
approach the day to day. You know, how he approaches
the meetings, you know what questions he's asking, how he's

(34:05):
helping the younger guys. I'm sure that's what he was
getting from guys like Randall Cobb and stuff when he
first got in. So it's just been a pleasure to
have him. He's such a fun dude to work with.
I know he is in a really good place mentally physically,
and you know, we're happy to have him.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
I think about your role as the offensive coordinator. Of course,
listeners will know Sean McVay. He calls the plays here.
But I think about how this rams like offense changes
so much over the years, and I was thinking from
your perspective as a coordinator, maybe explain to listeners like
the coordinator's role in the off season starting to build

(34:42):
those changes and how that all works.

Speaker 9 (34:45):
Yeah, I mean it's, first of all, it's all collaborative
all the time, right. Seawan's awesome with that in terms
of just delegate and responsibility not just to the coordinator
but obviously the position coaches in the whole building for
that matter. So you know, as a coordinator, non play caller,
all you're trying to do is make Sean's shot up easier.
And because it's already hard enough, right with having to

(35:06):
be the head coach and be you know, the face
of this organization and in charge of so many different
things that come across his desk, comes across my desk
as football stuff, schematic stuff, right, And I got the
relationship with those offensive guys well, smaller amount of responsibilities
than what he has, So you just always try to
stay ahead of him, making sure that he has what

(35:28):
he needs when he needs it, whether it be cutups,
whether it be studies, whether it be write ups, you know,
and just go. And what I always like to tell
him is, if you don't come in tomorrow, the show
would go on.

Speaker 6 (35:38):
You know.

Speaker 9 (35:39):
That's what I feel like My responsibility is to make
sure that we're ready to go at all times, no
matter what Sean has going on.

Speaker 5 (35:46):
Okay, like you do say it so casually, but staying
ahead of that maniac pace wise, I mean you have
to be wired a little strangely up there and you're
nogging there, Mike, to be able to stay ahead and
make sure that he has basically your lead blocking for
all of the all the things that he has to do,
the notes that he needs, the install, the cut out,
all the things that you guys are going to build
and create. You have to also be one step ahead

(36:08):
of the person who is ahead of most other teams
in this league. Are you okay? First of all, do
you slip?

Speaker 3 (36:14):
Are you well?

Speaker 9 (36:14):
I do you know he's he's obviously, I mean, if
there's a twenty fifth hour in the day, he's going
to find that that hour. But no, you know, I mean,
I think going into year three, it's it's the familiarity
with the organization, with working with him, with working with
you know, Ryan Windellar, offensive line coach for the third year,
with working with Stafford. So I mean, you just get
used to, you know, the way things are ran. And obviously,

(36:37):
you know, again having history with Sean via my brother
and then just knowing him, you knew what you're getting
yourself into in a good way. But it's not as
crazy as you think. I mean this he's he finds
his time, especially now that he's got little Jordan at
home and stuff like that. He's if it's not football,
he's with his family, and in the offseason he's got
his family by him all the time.

Speaker 3 (36:55):
He's also got your chair wired.

Speaker 5 (36:57):
So you know, if you didn't say that it wasn't
as bad that I think is, then maybe your chair
just blows up all of a sudden.

Speaker 9 (37:02):
You know, you'd rather have it that way.

Speaker 5 (37:06):
You guys have changed this offense almost I mean really
since you got here, you guys have been able to
change this offense every single season. I expect some changes
going into the twenty twenty five season as well. You
could really see that near the end with what you
all were trying to do schematically. My constant question with
teams to innovate is how do you know when it's

(37:26):
time to pivot? How do you know when it's time
to not just adjust the small things, but really start
to make the rip effects toward the philosophical shifts going
from the wide zone to the gap scheme when you
came in, and then also doing different layers in the
route combinations now that you guys will be doing with
Puka and Davonte and Tou tou. How do you know
when it's time to move to that thing?

Speaker 9 (37:47):
Well, one, I think the last part of what you
just said is so vital, right, Like it's still always
going to come down to our players. We have a
different set of players this year, like two two knows
exactly and not that he didn't know what his role was,
but too to a starter. You know, he's going into
this thing and obviously got pookin TA so you always started.
There's a foundation, no doubt, within all our offenses, and

(38:08):
then you build it around the skill set of these guys.
Like what we're going to do with Aay is just
going to be different than what we've done with you
know in years past. I'm talking anywhere we've been, you know,
whether it be you know, New York or San Francisco, whatever,
So it'll always start with them. And then to answer
the kind of the question in terms of when it
is time, you know, you just I don't. There's it
just naturally organically starts to happen, right like you know,

(38:31):
what you put on tape, you study yourself so much.
You pair it with what you're seeing from the defense.
Some of it you feel like you have a good
idea going into. Other times you're like, I don't know,
I think this is what they're going to do. But
so much of this thing is you know this the
defenses around the league now like I don't know what
coverage are in half the time they're showing shell they
got so many different like you've cut a split, you know,

(38:54):
or you're outside the numbers. That can change so many
things even though it's just one call. So what does
that mean from an offense perspective? If given these guys
and talking quarterbacks, but the whole offense universal plays that
are just you know, can you pick a coverage? We're
going to be all right, there's going to be an
outlet to it. So you know, I think it just
kind of all goes hand in hand, but it'll always
start with the players.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
How often is that in season too?

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Because when I think about what I'd like to know,
what I think fans would like to know of, like
what you're doing building the game plan from week to week.
To Jordan's question, how how often is it that you
know fans think like, oh, they made their adjustments in
the offseason and they've solved this thing. Like how do
you know within the season what you're seeing on tape
to like start building different aspects?

Speaker 9 (39:37):
Yeah, I think you know when you start back up
and say February, and you're building this thing before the
players get there, and then you start working in OTAs
and what I like to call flag football because obviously
you know it's it's different than having the actual pads on.
But you give yourself enough of a menu right to
be able to attack all the different coverages and structures
you're seeing from the defense, again tying it to what

(40:00):
your players can do best. So you know, if you
give yourself that menu, not trying to be the jack
of all trades, master and none, but enough that you are,
you know, diverse enough to attack all these different coverages
in front structures. Then you just kind of piece it
together and I just think, again, organically, it just kind
of starts like what are we doing best in and why?
And then you you know, try to pivot off of that,

(40:20):
plays off of plays, doing a lot of the same
plays and same concept but just dressing them up the
illusion of complexity. So again, I think it's just you
just living at week to week and by the end
of the year like, wow, I forgot we were even
doing that in week two, and it's kind of out
of sight, out of mind now.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
You know, What's something about Matthew Stafford. You came here
now a couple of seasons ago that maybe you wouldn't
have known about him, but before you got a chance
to work with him every day.

Speaker 2 (40:46):
How much time you got, Oh, how.

Speaker 3 (40:48):
Much time do you have? As long as you long
we get.

Speaker 2 (40:51):
Golf game, we can talk about whatever. Chase Chase.

Speaker 9 (40:54):
Chase looks busy right now, so I'm waiting for the
finger to come comeing off. You know, I've always always
really respected his game from Afar, from Michigan, So you
always just kind of always paid attention to Detroit because
that's what you grew up with and shoot when he
got when he got drafted, I was, you know, in
college as well, so you're paying attention to it. And

(41:17):
what always stuck out was the toughness. Obviously the talent,
Like I mean, this guy was five star, followed through
with it in college, number one pick and look at
what he's done in his professional career going into his
thirty seventh year or whatever it is, seventeenth. But so
all that talent stuff, all that the toughness is, but
like what a good dude, Like, it's he's just a

(41:40):
guys guy. He's an awesome dad to the four girls
and awesome husband Kelly. So he's just he's just a
cool dude. You just root for him, you love working
for him, because I don't, Like I don't, I'm not
as like I just worked for him. Like whatever we
can do to make his job's hard enough and whatever

(42:00):
we can do to make it as easy as possible
for him, that's.

Speaker 7 (42:04):
What you do.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
That's a cool mindset too, Mike, as a coach, to
have as you're serving the players. One thing that I
don't think people know enough about with Matthew is he's
actually quietly, very funny. He's the dry sense of humor.
That's something I almost want to wish I could be
a fly in the wall in the rooms, because Sean
doesn't strike me as a dry funny person.

Speaker 3 (42:24):
He's like but kind of person.

Speaker 5 (42:26):
But Matthew's like very one liner, sneaky kind of cut,
like little cutting dry sense of humor. And I'm kind
of curious what your take. Did you sit back at first?
Did you jump in?

Speaker 9 (42:34):
No, there's uh, there's no doubt about it. Sean, Sean
likes his jokes. You know, he's got He's got him
and Higbee they got they got a whole book full
of jokes that can come out at any time. But
you're right about Matthew. I think that's it's really smart. Yeah,
not just on the field of the ball snap, but
like he's got a lot, like he's so smart that
he like he doesn't even show it on people because

(42:55):
he just he he has a lot of life skills
in street smarts that uh, unless you knew him, you
probably wouldn't know that.

Speaker 1 (43:02):
So my brother he conducts like experimental classical music, that's
what he writes.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
And I'm like, I'm in sports.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
And my sister is a marine biologist.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
I was gonna throw that out there, and so I'm
way better my brother. I was thinking too.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
I was thinking, though you mentioned your brother a couple
of times, you ever just kind of wish he was
like an engineer that's in the crowd at training camp
and he's like, it's gonna be so cool. I'm gonna
bring my kids and you're gonna meet like my cool
bro Mike. That's like the coordinator. How cool is that?
Does it ever kind of annoy you that you guys
are doing.

Speaker 2 (43:34):
The same thing.

Speaker 9 (43:35):
I mean, he's somewhat of an like engineer conductor. He's
always trying to get the fans all up at Lambeau.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
And stuff like that.

Speaker 9 (43:40):
So no, but no, I I I'm so happy for
him and proud proud of him. You know, obviously on
a Sunday, I want the La Rams to win more
than anyone else. But I always have a close eye
on what's going on in Green Bay. You know, he's
I'm his biggest fan, and i'd like to he's my
biggest fan, and you know, we support each other and

(44:03):
it's it's just him and I and.

Speaker 5 (44:04):
So he's he's losing the overall battle to you and
injuries suffered weightlifting kind of overshooting, Yes, overshooting his boundaries there.

Speaker 9 (44:14):
Yeah, we got a torn pack, we got an achilles.
There's countless if you ever up in San Francisco, asked
Kyle about all the rehab you'd have to do my brother.
So I get mad at Love and all them in
our staff because we always do all these like warm up.
Actually we don't get into the weight training until like
twenty minutes in, and it's because he doesn't want me
to tear an achilles or a peck, which I appreciate.

Speaker 1 (44:36):
Yeah, your brother Matt is at the forefront of like
the coaches are a little two jack these days.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
It makes me like uncomfortable.

Speaker 9 (44:41):
He's not jacks.

Speaker 2 (44:43):
It's a good shape. He's a good shape.

Speaker 1 (44:45):
It's like I liked it when the coaches where they
looked one way in August and then they had totally
fallen apart by like November December. Those are my kind
of coaches. Appreciate all the time that you've given us.
Mike Lafleur, good luck to you this season. Offensive coordinator
welcoming in Darius Williams, cornerback of the Los Angeles Rams,

(45:06):
a veteran who's been through a few training camps. Now
in the second time around with the Los Angeles Rams
just got off the field from his first day in
pads and had a little star moment there with the
past deflection at the end.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
Right, Yes, sir, Yes.

Speaker 5 (45:19):
Sir, you know you had to end it on your terms,
you know.

Speaker 6 (45:22):
Yeah, feels good to be back on the grass.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
I was told by my son Walker to let you
know immediately, he's you're his favorite player to use in Madden.
Are you aware that like you you bring it in
Madden in the in the secondary triangle, like making a
lot of picks.

Speaker 2 (45:39):
He he loves playing as Darius holl Oh No.

Speaker 6 (45:42):
That's cool.

Speaker 10 (45:42):
So I haven't played Madden since I got to the league.
I told myself, if I could play a video game,
I probably am gonna blow into the playboot. So I
probably need to focus more on the playboot.

Speaker 3 (45:55):
Oh that's amazing. Yeah, I was.

Speaker 5 (45:56):
He was facetiming with Walker right before we got in
to our show planning today when he told him that
you were going to come on with us. Oh my gosh.
I was on the other side. I heard his yelling
of excitement, and I was like, oh my god.

Speaker 3 (46:08):
He said Darius Williams my favorite player.

Speaker 5 (46:10):
I was like, he's also my favorite play So so
glad you're here with us today, Darius.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
Obviously it's the first day of real football out here.

Speaker 5 (46:17):
You guys have been at camp for a while ramp
up period, but you've also watched DeVante Adams, your new teammate,
for years in the league, and you've watched him with
his craft and when you are studying him, what does
it also spark creatively for you of different new things.
You have all the tools at this point, but does
he spark anything creatively for you?

Speaker 7 (46:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (46:38):
I mean we even talked about it on the bus
going to Maui for our mini camp, just chopping it
up on releases and vice versa.

Speaker 6 (46:46):
He of course, like he was giving us tips.

Speaker 10 (46:50):
But yeah, I mean, the dudes that one of the
best he's been, if not the best in the league
at releases, getting open separation, all that. So I mean
with him, you got to come to the line with
a different approach. You can't approach him every single time
the same way. And I think that's going to help
me personally. It's going to help all our dvs be
the best we can be.

Speaker 5 (47:09):
I've covered you for years, grateful to do it, and
you're so scheme versatile. This defense has changed a lot,
and you've done a little bit of everything in it,
man man match, match zone, some of the shell rotating
coverages when you play a receiver and you have to
think about what he's going to do off the line immediately.

(47:30):
Of that talent level and that caliber, how do where
do you pull from in your memory bank? Like, how
do you like you have such a massive file of
defense in your brain?

Speaker 6 (47:40):
Right?

Speaker 10 (47:41):
I think you got to just sometimes you can't worry
about the number. Yeah, sometimes you just got to focus
on your training, trust and rely on your training and
go out there and just within the defense and knowing
where your help is and whatnot.

Speaker 6 (47:53):
Just go out there and be able to handle that side.

Speaker 10 (47:55):
But I mean, the biggest thing for me, especially when
I first started playing, is to blot out the jerseys,
because if you focus on one specific person, you know
they're that good, Like you might psych yourself out. So
as long as you can just rely on your training,
rely on your technique, and worry about where your help
is in the defense, you'll be all right.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
So I think when people think of the RAMS, I
think offense, and then you know, the young pass rush
group really came on. You're back there in the secondary,
and I know this is an improving defense in general.
Maybe from an insider perspective of what you are, give
me the identity of what you think this secondary can
be in the defense as part of the defenses.

Speaker 10 (48:32):
Yeah, I think everybody's young, and everybody's smart, and everybody's athletic,
and I think that's what you need. I mean, we
got our front seven. They're going to do their job.
I think our back seven, as long as we continue
to communicate grow. I think this unit is one of
the closest units I've ever been a part of, so
that plays a huge role.

Speaker 6 (48:49):
But I think, man, we got.

Speaker 10 (48:52):
So much depth on our team, and it goes all
the way down to the last player on our roster.

Speaker 6 (48:56):
I think any coach will probably feel comfortable, at least
after a couple preseasons throwing them out there.

Speaker 10 (49:01):
So, I mean the big thing is is we're close
and we all push each other.

Speaker 6 (49:06):
To do the best.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
Darius.

Speaker 5 (49:07):
I know you're you love team building on a track someday,
hopefully a long time from now, because we'd like to
watch you play for many more years, but on the
general manager track, on an executive track, you love team
building and strategy and all of that. Watching the way
that the Rams drafted this year, to me, it felt
like they were telling us what they felt this roster was.
Because they they found a couple of depth guys, They

(49:29):
found players who could develop over the course of years
because of the starters already ahead of them. It felt
like they were showing us how they felt about what
this team build was. Did you get the same sense
watching from the outside.

Speaker 6 (49:41):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 10 (49:42):
I think you know they and I've been telling like
my guys, like just go out there and play ball,
because I mean, they chose this group for a reason.
They could have went out and got anybody. You know,
these our executives are are from the GM to the
scouting to coach McVay and the coaches. They know what's
look for, Like this is an organization that knows how

(50:03):
to produce talent. They know how to develop talent. So
I just always tell the guys like you're in a
good spot, like you just continue to grow, continue to
get better. And if if there was a weakness somewhere,
they would have pointed it out.

Speaker 5 (50:13):
Do you ever shock some of the younger guys when
they first come in that you were once an undrafted
for agent.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
Does that shock them?

Speaker 10 (50:20):
Yeah, that's what I tell them. I mean, Josh is
like one of my biggest guys. I'm like, like they
like Josh Wallace.

Speaker 6 (50:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (50:28):
So, I mean it's a process and like I said,
like these it's it's different if I mean you have
undrafted guys and we're just thrown out in the on
the field and we're running we don't know what to do.
But like I said, like this organization, the coaches like
they really know how to develop you, and I feel
like they bring the talent, they know how to develop.

Speaker 2 (50:46):
Wait, so did you just drop some news you want
to be a GM or something? Something will be okay? Well,
you know, Mad, it is pretty good like Dynasty mode.
You know, you're at the time to see what it's
good practice.

Speaker 10 (50:59):
Yeah, if opportunity to presist itself. I mean, how would
gladly take that road? But you know, I'll go wherever
God sends me.

Speaker 5 (51:05):
So, Darius, I wanted to ask you you've played this
defense has evolved a few times when you were here,
he evolved a few times when you left. It evolved
again when you came back. You've been in two different,
three different versions of it again even coming back. Why
what is it about this defense that's sort of meeting
what offenses are doing around the league in this moment?

Speaker 3 (51:23):
What is it about the defense that's.

Speaker 5 (51:24):
Sort of ready for how offenses have innovated right now?

Speaker 10 (51:29):
I think, man, you just you got to have the
dogs up front, and I think you got to have
the guys who can cover in the back road and
as versatile as this defense is, as many pieces as
you can move around and things that you can do.
I mean, as long as you've got the dogs up front,
as long as you got the cover guys in the back,
I think you're gonna be good.

Speaker 6 (51:47):
I think you can do whatever you want with it.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
I mean sometimes you got to cover this guy Pukaakua
in practice, who's causing a riot about one hundred feet
away from you, signing some things, just going crazy. He's
like a mattin a star, Like, what what's he like
to cover?

Speaker 10 (52:01):
I mean, Poka is a dog. I mean, one thing
that makes Puka super special is his exclusiveness. He's got
just a sudden exclusiveness. And then obviously after the catch,
So I mean the timing with the quarterbacks is obviously
a big help, but I mean he's he's got a
great exclusive step, so that's that's big.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
And then it just stops.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
That was what got me today watching just like the
start to stop is just that's gotta be tough to
deal with. But that that's why you've stuck around and
done such a great job over the years. Still still
rolling back with the Los Angeles Rams. And you don't
play Madden, but I'm telling you you're a baller in Madden.

Speaker 3 (52:40):
Appreciate you the we're not sponsored by Madden.

Speaker 1 (52:43):
You saw that. I'm just I'm just saying you're delivering
for my son. So that just makes me like you
even more. Darius Villiams preciuch.

Speaker 6 (52:49):
Tell him he's one of my biggest fans out too.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Thank you, Darius, thank you, thank you, Thank you to
Darius Williams. What a day of guests Less Need was fantastic.
Your buddy Mike Lafleur and Darius Williams wrapping up the
show here. We did watch practice first day in pads
that that seems exciting. But the Rams, being like Ultimate Rams,

(53:15):
DeVante Adams isn't even practicing.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
He just has a veteran, veteran day off. Matthew Stafford,
it is out.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
It was a very short practice is it felt like
a ramp up to the pad. So I didn't have
a ton of huge takeaways. But it is fun to
see all the different I mean, they don't line up
in the same formation two plays in a row ever
ever ever, And it was interesting to see Terrence Ferguson
working in with the ones at some point and sometimes
in the back the backups as well. That second round

(53:44):
pick at tight ends like Jimmy G with a shot
down the field to a Terrence Ferguson. So just little
little things that are interesting, and a whole lot of
to two out well in most literally every single play
to to out well was in motion to out well.
Though not a great day, had to drop, couldn't get
open on another play that Jimmy G was trying to
hit him.

Speaker 5 (54:03):
They are putting a lot on him and trying to
use his speed a lot of that with the pre
snap and at snap motion. This is more usage than
he has had since you know, he got here a
few years ago.

Speaker 3 (54:16):
Second round pick.

Speaker 5 (54:17):
And it's interesting because the Terrence Ferguson thing does not
surprise me at all. He was one of Sean mcvay's
favorite players coming out in the draft, favorite players period,
his favorite tight end as well, and he wants to
use him as a mismatch in the passing game. And
I think this team is going to use more multiple
tight end sets. They increase that usage last season, especially
near the end of the season when Tyler Higbee returned,

(54:39):
and I think you're going to see more of it.
And also on defense, by the way, it may look
like they're showing the same front and the same coverage structure,
but they're really never in the same front and structure
after the snap from one play to the next either.
So this is this is going to be interesting to
watch this unfold. Very multiple team on both sides of
the ball.

Speaker 1 (54:55):
Yeah, they are one of the most fascinating teams. And
for a minute, you know, on Monday, I believe you know,
I saw Jimmy g come out and he sees Rampage
the mascot, and seems like so genuinely happy to see him.
A lot of the different players have like unique handshakes
that they do with Rampage every single day, and and

(55:16):
he clearly has a command of the offense, and there's
two padibles, no Jimmy G. And they're talking like if
we need to use Jimmy G. And then they start
doing like the real live bullet type of plays and
the ball's floating a little bit and he's having a
hard time getting it done but seem comfortable in the pocket.
And then I feel like, oh, yeah, I feel a
little a little less but they're hoping, they're hoping that

(55:37):
doesn't happen.

Speaker 5 (55:38):
Yeah, I think that for me, I'm not necessarily worried
too much about the Stafford thing until and not throwing
in the backsornis, until these joint practices start with the Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (55:48):
On August fifth, and then further down the.

Speaker 5 (55:50):
Road as well, because those are going to be really,
really important. He's got to get in here with this offense,
and the ball coming out of Matthew Stafford's hand is
not really like most so it does make a huge difference.
The install is there. That's part of the reason why
Jimmy G's here is because the install is super functional.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
With him.

Speaker 5 (56:06):
You can get the same amount of work done. They
just throw differently.

Speaker 1 (56:09):
Yes, and he did have some nice connections really the
best plays they had no surprise were Tapuka Nakua, who's
just a rock star, Like the fans are going nuts.
It's southern California, it's very windy and just like a
perfect like seventy four degree weather and he just looks
like a Matine idol And I mentioned it, yeah, Darius

(56:30):
Williams and just seeing Pooka like cause a five alarm
fire in that secondary because everyone got a little panicked.
It was Cam Curl. It was a couple of the
players that he was about to just bust through all
of them and go deep and they're panicked, and then
he throttles down in a second and he is just
wide open, so it doesn't matter how slow that Jimmy
g pass was kind of getting to him, and he

(56:51):
was wide open for like Jimmy, Yeah, I mean you
can go to camp and that's what you can judge
is like how pretty the passes are. We will be
back in the studio really excited about the show that
we'll be going up overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. We will
hit all the NFC notes with our friend Patrick Claiban.
We'll be talking about Tyler Geitton. By the way, the

(57:13):
left tackle. The Cowboy's going to be out four to
six weeks. Got that news late in the day. That's disappointing,
but it's hard to be disappointed out here in the
sunshine when you're wearing an NFL network hoolo football's back