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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 22: General manager Les Snead of the Los Angeles Rams on the field before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
General manager Les Snead rarely made any significant moves after the Los Angeles Rams won the 2022 Super Bowl. Following a pair of blockbuster trades this offseason, highlighted by the Myles Garrett deal, Snead has proven that his aggressive side never went anywhere.
Snead was already well-known for his “F them picks” mentality, highlighted by the Rams having just two first-round picks since taking Jared Goff first overall in 2016. Even with the first-rounders he’s selected in the last decade, he’s been willing to deal, which means Ty Simpson, you’re next buddy (probably).
From 2018-21, Snead had also used several first-round picks to trade for superstars like Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford. The Ramsey and Stafford trades led to the team’s second Super Bowl win, and first since the Greatest Show on Turf era.
Despite all the success with those big-time trades, Snead’s aggressive side had seemingly vanished, until recently.
Back in February, I questioned whether Snead was under pressure to make a blockbuster move to get Los Angeles over the hump. It was fair to wonder, given he hadn’t acquired a major name via trade since Von Miller ahead of the 2021 trade deadline. Since that season, he only made two trade acquisitions — Kevin Dotson in 2023 and Roger McCreary at last year’s deadline.
Sure, he had signed some talented players in free agency like Kam Curl, Davante Adams (albeit past his prime) and Poona Ford, but no one fans would call household names. Now, it’s evident that Snead’s aggressive nature had never vanished.
He was waiting for the right time to strike, which ESPN’s Peter Schrager called back during the NFL draft.
It’s just what Snead and the Rams’ front office do — they always have something up their sleeves, plotting their next course of action. L.A. fans can attribute all this activity to the Seahawks.
The main reason Snead’s been so active this offseason compared to the last few is simply because of how close the Rams were to returning to the Super Bowl. Falling short in the NFC Championship to Seattle in the most wide-open NFL season in quite some time hurt, more so considering L.A. would’ve likely dispatched the Patriots handily, as their division rival had in the big game.
That Rams team fell short for a variety of reasons, with lack of depth at cornerback one of the culprits. Snead fixed that by double-dipping with the Trent McDuffie trade and adding Jaylen Watson. The Garrett move further solidified the belief that Snead was not about to watch the team he had constructed miss out on another opportunity to secure a ring.
Snead doesn’t make blockbuster moves just for the sake of making them; he does them in response to a roster that was already within striking distance of the Super Bowl.
After several quieter offseasons, Snead initially appeared to have shifted from his aggressive approach that defined the Rams’ last championship run. Instead, he was waiting for the right opportunity after the team had proved that it was a legitimate contender once again, and he’s betting that lightning will strike again this season.
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