[sloramfan]

i just read on the "trade becomes official" thread that MS is going to be giving a presser today...

as per jourdan rodrigue...

where can i go to listen/watch?

go rams

slo

[HopHead Ram]

I would assume the standard channels of either the official website or one of their social media platforms.

[Elvis]

Rams aren't showing it live but it's happening now. JG in Detroit too:

[SpeedRacer]

And Goff gets dumped for Stafford again. NFL Net cut away from Goff's 2nd answer to switch to Stafford.

Ouch.

Go Rams.

[Elvis]

[sloramfan]

i guess we have to settle for the taped delay from one of our many social media outlets...

go rams

slo

[Elvis]

Hopefully there will be video and transcripts to come. Meanwhile:

[TomSlick]

And Goff gets dumped for Stafford again. NFL Net cut away from Goff's 2nd answer to switch to Stafford.

Ouch.

Go Rams.

May have as much to do with the RAMS being more highly regarded, playoff potential wise, than the Lions.

[Elvis]

Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Media Availability – March 19, 2021

(On his message to Rams fans)
“I'm just excited to be here. Obviously, this is a huge opportunity, not only for me, but for my family as well. We're excited to be out here, excited to take on this next chapter in my football career and in our family's life. Hopefully it comes away with a bunch of success on the football field and not only for me personally, but more importantly for the Rams.”

(On playing in the NFC West and the level of quarterback play)
“Luckily for me, when I play, I'm not playing against the other quarterbacks, because there are some great ones in this division, there's no question. The biggest thing for me right now is trying to make sure I dive into this offense, learn it as quickly as I possibly can, get to know my teammates and make sure that when we hit the ground running, I'm ready to go and I can play fast and free and play to my highest ability.”

(On if he has talked to anyone currently on the Rams roster)
“Yeah, I've talked to a few guys. I've talked to (WR) Cooper (Kupp) and (WR) Robert (Woods) a little bit, ‘AD’ (DL Aaron Donald), and ‘Whit’ (OL Andrew Whitworth). I've talked to a bunch of the O-linemen. I've talked to a few guys here and there. I’ve had some good conversations, really just trying to get to know people. It's an odd time. Obviously, I don't know what's going to happen with our offseason program, but I imagine it's going to be limited in some capacity, if not all the way. So, it'll be an interesting opportunity and a challenge for me to get to know these guys as fast as I can and make sure they get to know me so that we can go out there play as a team and win some games.”

(On his impressions of Kupp and Woods)
“From afar, they just do an outstanding job of getting open. It’s pretty impressive to watch those two guys go. They both do it in their own unique way. Both have an understanding of the game that's pretty impressive. You can just see it; it jumps out on the tape. It jumps out from afar when you're watching TV and then once they get the ball in their hand, they do a great job of running after the catch, which is huge in this league, and those guys do an outstanding job of that.”

(On if it’s exciting to be in the same city as Dodgers Pitcher Clayton Kershaw)
“It's great. I'm excited to watch him do his thing. He's obviously been a great player for a long time. I’m excited to hopefully get out to Dodger Stadium and watch him do his thing and be in the stands for that.”

(On if he prefers Matt or Matthew)
“Matthew, please.”

(On what steps need to be taken to get a contract to be a long-term Ram in writing)
“As far as in writing goes, I'm not too worried about it. My job No. 1 first and foremost, is to play at a high level to help this team win football games. That's what I'm focused on at the moment. I've got a lot on my plate, to be honest, with trying to learn this offense and learning the team. So that's the biggest and most important thing on my mind. All that other stuff will take care of itself. At the moment, I've got two more years left on my deal, so I'm just going to play and let all that other stuff take care of itself.”

(On if there is a possibility of restructuring his contract to be under the salary cap)
“You're going to have to ask the guys in the Rams front office on that one. That's above my pay grade. I'm just a player trying to do my thing, but obviously I'll do whatever I can to help the team.”

(On the challenges of coming to a new city)
“Obviously, I had a bunch of familiar faces and I knew the city of Detroit like the back of my hand. So, it's going to be a new city for me. Like I spoke to earlier, with probably limited, if not zero offseason in-person style, that's going to be a challenge for me. I'm looking forward to it. Everybody in the league has different challenges. There are new players coming into new positions all over the league. So, we're not unique in that, but at the same time, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I am face-to-face with these guys if I can be and if I'm not, I'm doing everything I can to reach out and get to know them so we can play together and play well.”

(On how much of the system Darrell Bevell runs is similar to the Rams)
“I don't believe it's too similar. I think they're pretty different. I think just watching them from afar and then obviously trying to get to know it a little bit here and there if I can, it's going to be different, it's going to be a new language for me. I bet it's going to probably be a little bit of a different style of play, but at the same time, that's something that (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and I will talk about to kind of figure out where my strengths have been in the past and where his strengths are as a team and as a play caller and we'll blend some together and make it work.”

(On his excitement to play in McVay’s offense)
“I'm really excited. He has a great track record as a play caller and as a coach. I think quarterbacks have played at a high level under his tutelage. So, I'm excited to get the opportunity to play for him and for this team. Part of what makes him a great play caller and all great play callers is having trust in the quarterback and hopefully I can build that over time, and he can trust me to go out there and make plays.”

(On where or who his toughness comes from)
“I don't know. I think more than anything, just a respect for the game, a respect for my teammates. The quarterback probably gets a lot of attention when it comes to those things, but there's guys up front blocking for me or playing defensive line or linebacker, whatever it is, guys all over the field are battling through things that a lot of times don't get talked about. So, I just walk through that locker room Mondays after games and see guys beat up and know that they're going to be out there on Sunday and if they're going to be out there, I sure want them to know that I'm going to be out there as well. As far as getting out there and making sure I'm ready to play, I'll do everything I possibly can. Then once the ball is snapped, then it's just do anything you can to help the team win, that's running or throwing. Whatever needs to be done, I'm willing to do it and happy to do it because this is a great game and a great team game. I just want to get out there and lead by example when I can.”

(On what he was looking for in his next team after deciding to part with Detroit)
“I mean, obviously, it was a tough decision to come to. Obviously, the Lions were amazing to me and we worked through this thing together, which was an outstanding thing and pretty uncommon I feel like. I got to give a lot of credit to the Lions for that. Then, you never know what's going to happen after that. Once you do that, you open it up to kind of a bunch of different places. We had kind of spoken about trying to get to a place where the team was ready to have success in short time and obviously, the Rams are a team like that. They've had a bunch of success as a team, it was something that attracted me to them. There were other teams that were possibilities, no question. It just happened to work out the way that it did.”

(On what other teams were a possibility)
“You probably have to ask Detroit’s front office for that. They got more information than me. I was just along for the ride.”

(On what it feels like to be in a facility and a new stadium)
“Yeah, it definitely felt different. There's a lot of change. I'm not only moving myself, but my wife, my four kids, a bunch of people, so it's a big process. going and seeing the locker room and then seeing the practice facility where I'm going to go to work most days is something that's different, but it's exciting at the same time. It’s something that I hope to make home really quick and hopefully for a long time.”

(On the evolution of McVay’s offense)
“I think Sean does a great job of kind of adapting to who he has on that has on the team. You look back a few years ago, there was a bunch of receivers and it got to a little bit more two tight end stuff. There's a new back in town, so there's a bunch of changes that happened. And that’s the NFL. I think Sean does a great job of seeing who he has available, who can make plays and getting those guys to football as much as possible. This league has changed a lot in the 12 years that I've been in it, both offensively and defensively. It's a constant challenge to make sure that both sides of the football are staying up to date on what's the best and what's the newest and how teams are attacking us. So, I feel comfortable with where he’s at, where he is as a play-caller and then making sure he's going to get us into some great plays.”

(On his mindset and approach to fourth-quarter comebacks)
“I mean, obviously all of them are different. I think the biggest thing is knowing the situation and knowing how to attack that situation. Sometimes, you need a field goal, sometimes you need a touchdown. Does the kicker like the ball on the left hash, the right hash? Our guy in Detroit, (K Matt) Prater, he loved it on the left hash. So, if we were just trying to get a field goal, I was always trying to get on the left-hash for him late in the drive. All those things go into it. Make sure if you're playing another team with a great offense or a great quarterback, you don't want to get into the ball back with too much time as well. There’s so many things that go into it. But I think it starts with knowing the situation and then No. 2, just having a great attitude when you go out there and understand that you're going to have the confidence, not only in myself, but in my teammates to go out there and do whatever the situation needs to be done. So, it's knowing the situation and I think having a bunch of confidence as a team that no matter what the situation is, we can go get it done.”

(On if there is a specific fourth-quarter comeback that comes to mind)
“There are a couple. We were playing Minnesota, in Minnesota a few years ago. I think we had 27 seconds left and they kicked it out of the back of the endzone. And in two plays we got down in field goal range for Prater. He hit a 58-yard and went to overtime and ended up winning that game. That's a big one. And then, I'll just go with that one right now. There's quite a few running through my head. But, that one and Washington was good. That one's a good one, because it was against Sean. They ran a little zone read with (QB Kirk) Cousins and he walked in and I immediately thought they'd left us too much time, which was great. We got to get down there and about four or five plays later, threw a touchdown and Anquan (Boldin) at home. So, that was a fun one.”

(On if he had a prior relationship with McVay)
“No, just I think a mutual respect from afar and then obviously kind of shaking hands here and there after games. But, as far as before now, there hasn't been a relationship to speak of.”

(On being on a team with a deep postseason run potential and experience)
“Yeah, it's exciting. It's something that drew me as I guess tradable asset at some point, that the Rams were the team that were proven winners, had done it quite consistently over the last four or five years. So, something that was exciting to me. Obviously, being on the other end of that, not having too many playoff chances under my belt is frustrating. It's tough. You play this game for success as a team. You want to you want to win games and be in those big moments. I'm excited to hopefully have that opportunity. That isn't guaranteed to us, just because it happened in years past, doesn't mean it's going to happen again. We've got to go out there and earn it and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we earn it.”

(On how the initial conversations went McVay when talking football and McVay’s excitement level)
“Yeah, that's about right. You've got it down. That's kind of how it was. Obviously, the first time we got to sit down and talk, it was a lot of him asking me about games that I've played in and vice versa. I think there was a mutual appreciation for what the other person had done, him from a coaching standpoint and me from a playing standpoint. So, that was fun to talk back and forth and see what the other's perspective was on certain things that had happened in both of our careers. It was cool and obviously looking for a bunch more of that to help us get to where we need to be.”

(On if he has given his age and continuing to play any thought)
"I don't want to put an age on it. I feel like I'm so far from that right now. I'm only 33. I'm a young man. So, I'll figure that out when I get there. I don't see the end right around the corner or anything like that. I feel like I can play this game at a high level for a long time. So, I'm excited to get the opportunity to play, hopefully for a long time for this franchise and bring a bunch of success here."

(On specifics of the offense that he feels will enhance his skillset)
"I think Sean does a great job of designing plays. He does a great job of moving in and out of formations, creating difficulty for the defense. That's the name of the game on the offensive side of the ball, is to try to give the defense a bunch of things to think about, make them play defense and let us play offense. So, I think he does a great job of that. Obviously, we are going to work together I'm sure and figure out, 'Hey, what have I done well in the past? And what do the guys on this team do a great job of, and we'll blend it from there.' It's exciting, a lot of guys in my position have played at a high level under him, so I'm excited to get my chance."

(On if he is here in Southern California)
"I'm on the West Coast, yep."

(On what excites him and his family about moving to California)
"I mean, the sunshine's not bad. That's a good thing. My little girls don't really know what's going on, so we had to trick them and tell them we were moving to the beach. Not really the beach, but it's closer to the beach than we've been in the past, so they're excited about that."

(On how long it takes for him to feel comfortable in a new offense)
"It's a good question. They're always different. Each offense kind of has the things that are easy and normal to it and that are a little bit more difficult, so I'll figure out what those are for me and go from there, but I'm not too worried about it. Like you said, I've done it before and I'm excited to get to do it and it's a new challenge for me, especially with new teammates, like you said, and then an offseason that's probably going to be limited, if anything. They're definitely challenges ahead, but I'll do my homework and make sure I'm ready to go."

(On managing the pressure of leading the Rams to the Super Bowl)
"For me, it's playing this position for 12 years, that's your job every year. I don't care what team you're playing for; your job is to try and get that team to the Super Bowl. Obviously, didn't get it done in the first 12 years of my career. I've got a new opportunity to come out here and give it a shot. I'm going to do everything I possibly can. As far as, what was in the trade, what was not in the trade, what our team is, none of that matters. I'm part of the L.A. Rams at the moment and we've got to do everything we can as a team to get ready to play at the highest level. That's what we expect out of each other. That's what I expect out of those guys, I know they'll expect it out of me. So, I'm excited to get that opportunity and sometimes feeling that pressure is a positive thing, I love that. I want to be playing in those big games and in those big moments. So, for me, it's an opportunity more than anything."

(On not being a Hollywood guy and if he has had any celebrity encounters or has he been star struck by anyone)
"I'm sure I will be. But your observant, I am not a celebrity, Hollywood type of guy. But listen, I'm going to be focused on football when I'm here. If I run into somebody cool, I'll let you know."

(On how long it takes for him to feel a part of the team culture)
"Obviously, I think that kind of comes from the top down. I've had opportunities to meet some guys in the front office, the head coach, the owner, all that kind of stuff and you can feel it from there. But I think once I get around the guys, and who knows when that's going to be with the state of things at the moment, but once you get around the guys as well in the locker room, I've heard nothing but great things. The guys that I've talked to on the team have been awesome guys and guys that I've been fans of from afar for a long time. So, hopefully it'll click and happen fast. I'm just excited to get that opportunity to get to meet everybody face-to-face."

(On when it hit him emotionally that he was leaving Detroit)
"Yeah, that's a good question. It's kind of been a back-and-forth, I've been flying out here and flying back and doing all these kinds of things, just trying to get ourselves as a family settled, still trying to do that. So, that's part of a process, but probably, honestly yesterday or two days ago, whenever it became official, was a big day. That was kind of like the point of no return and you knew that the trade was going through and I was going to be an L.A. Ram and Jared (Goff) was obviously going to be a Detroit Lion and that was a big moment. I was happy to do that video that I got to do for the Lions, that organization and those teammates, coaches, front office and ownership mean a lot to me, always will. The people that were fans of me when I was there are people that I'll appreciate and know and love for a long time. So, it's still something that I'll think about. We got them on the schedule this year, so it'll be fun to reconnect with some of those people. But I'm really excited about this opportunity. It obviously feels really real to me at the moment and I'm just excited to get going."

[Elvis]

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay & General Manager Les Snead
Media Availability – March 19, 2021

(On why QB Matthew Stafford was a right fit for the team)
McVay: “First of all, you know, he's a great competitor, plays the position at an elite level. I think for anybody that's been around him, when you talk to those people, what they say about him that says as much as anything. Then, just being able to evaluate his body of work, even going back to Georgia, the 12 years in Detroit – toughness sees the field well, can progress, great movement in the pocket can make all those throws. I think just being able to get to know him a little bit, he's got a great way about himself, where you can feel he's got a great, quiet confidence, but a humility that's refreshing. I think his teammates are really going to love him. You listen to what some of his teammates have come out and said about him and that's really consistent with whether it's coaches, teammates you can't help but love this guy and really excited to get to work with (QB) Matthew (Stafford).”

(On how Stafford will elevate the offense and how it is different from QB Jared Goff)
McVay: “I would say this, you're talking about two really good quarterbacks in this league. There's only 32 in the world and both those guys are in that category. So, I think you're talking about special people in general. I think our job as coaches is always to fit your offense and your system to the skillsets of your players, that always starts with the quarterback. A lot of the things that you might see us do are reflected in what he's had success with. So, it's not about what the Rams have done, it's about building this thing around our players, our coaches. We're really excited about that. I just think that the things that you've seen for Matthew over the course of his career, playing the position at an elite level, the way he's able to see the field, you see (Packers QB Aaron) Rodgers, (Chiefs QB Patrick) Mahomes have done an outstanding job of being able to move and manipulate coverage and change their arm slots and Matthew has done a lot of those same things. So, I think he's got great wide-field vision, sees the field. He's able to speed it up if he has issues. You're watching a guy that if you watch the film, the game makes sense to him and I really respect the lens that he sees it through. Being able to start talking a little bit with him, you get some real insight into the way that he sees the game and the thinking of it. It shows up on the film and we're excited whenever that chance presents itself to be able to get the work.”

(On if late fourth-quarter performances, such as the Divisional Round against Green Bay, were a determining factor between Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford)
McVay: “Yeah, I think so. I thought Jared (Goff) played well in that game. There's a lot of things that go into it and most importantly, it's a rare opportunity to acquire a player of Matthew Stafford's caliber. It’s really unprecedented when you look at kind of what's happening with the landscape of the league and possible franchise guys that are moving and changing teams. To be able to acquire somebody like him was an opportunity that we wanted to be aggressive about pursuing it and fortunately it worked out. But by no means, is it a reflection of not respecting and appreciating all the great things that Jared Goff has done. You just see the way he handles himself and he's nothing but class and he'll do a great job for Detroit.”

(On if he expects a lot of passing yards and a good touchdown-interception ration with Stafford)
McVay: “Yeah, I think the first part, I'll be able to answer your question that I think (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Zac Robinson and Matthew Stafford have connected now that I can answer that from the previous press conference. But with regards to the stats, our job is to win football games and his job is to be able to lead our team to victories, produce offensively, score a bunch of points. He's definitely shown the resilience and the competitiveness that going bring his team from behind. But turnovers are a big part of this thing. You always want to do a great job taking care of the football while also competing and giving yourself an opportunity to create explosives. I think he's really done a great job of that the last handful of years and we're excited about being the best offense we can be with him at the switch.”

(On the first steps needed to take to build the relationship with Stafford)
McVay: “I think the exciting thing is we've got some things that we're doing different and really whether it's onboarding a new quarterback or a new offensive line coach, there's a lot of things that you've got to figure out what's the best way to operate with this offense in the upcoming season. I think you start from ground one, you get to know one another, you really build a foundational relationship. It's really truly a collaboration and I think when you look at what he's done really over the last couple years, Matthew has had so many different experiences and exposures, so we can kind of speak, I would imagine once we were able to get going, he'll be able to speak the same language because I know (Former Lions Offensive Coordinator Darren) Bevell has some similar foundational, whether it's how you call formations, how do you utilize the snap count. Even when Joe Lombardi was his offensive coordinator, we've got a lot of similar things that we believe in from what (Saints Head) Coach (Sean) Payton and the New Orleans system has done such an excellent job of. So, he's got a lot of things that he's experienced that we'll quickly figure out what is that way that we can communicate. We've studied a bunch of his tape as well and you'll see us implement things that he's comfortable with, even if it's stuff that you haven't maybe seen from the Rams. I think everything starts with that quarterback and that's exactly what this process will be reflective of.”

(On if the offense will implement things Stafford has done in the past)
McVay: “When we can start talking ball, we'll be able to absolutely do those things.”

(On when McVay and Snead lost confidence in Goff)
McVay: “I don't think there was ever a moment, that's not what this situation reflects. I wouldn't say that. I think kind of at the beginning when we started talking about it is to be able to acquire a player of Matthew Stafford’s caliber, those are things that really, since I've been coaching in the NFL, I haven't seen opportunities like that come up often. To be able to take advantage of that, to be in alignment with (General Manager) Les (Snead) and (Chief Operating Officer) Kevin (Demoff) and (Vice President, Football & Business Administration) Tony (Pastoors) and then to have ownership be able to support our decisions is something that you're truly grateful for. You want to work hard to make them right on it, but it's more of a reflection of the opportunity to acquire Matthew than anything else.”

Snead: Yeah, similar answer. Keyword is opportunity, rare opportunity. Put simply, chance to bet on going from good to great at that position. And especially from where our team was, our core group of players, where they were in their career, the coaching staff we have, felt like it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

(On the conversation with ownership to move on from Goff considering the prior investment made)
Snead: “Well, the one thing that Sean and I have discussed amongst ourselves, many times, as we appreciate (Owner/Chairman) Stan (Kroenke) allowing us to be intentional about trying to improve, let's call it Sunday afternoons and not necessarily the spreadsheet per se. But with that being said, that's a very simple way to say we gave Jared this amount of money. You're going to save some because of Matthew’s contract and things like that. So, those things sitting down with Tony and Kevin and walking through ownership the exact details of financials and things like that, all occur. And again, I think to reiterate, we really appreciate being a part of an organization, Sean and I being a steward for Stan's franchise in terms of his goal and his vision and he's always allowed us to try to do what's best to improve Sunday afternoons.”

(On if McVay recalls the fourth quarter comeback Stafford made against Washington)
McVay: “Broke my heart. It was after he beat the Rams and you guys went to London. So, (QB) Kirk Cousins scored on a zone read to take the lead. I thought the game was over. He makes a couple unbelievable throws and then he knifes a seam to Anquan Boldin right over the top of us in a buzz coverage. It was a tough day. But it was one of those things where you witness it and (Defensive Coordinator Raheem) Coach Morris and talked about that. He broke Raheem’s heart this past year as well in a two-minute situation. So, a resilient competitor, all those things. I do remember those tough days. But you can't help but respect and appreciate just the caliber of competitor and that belief that he instills in everybody around him because he's got the tangible evidence to reflect that with some of the results. And to the question that you asked Les as well, I do think it's really important to acknowledge how fortunate we both feel to work for Stan Kroenke. The willingness to have us be able to articulate some of the thought processes behind, why we felt like this was a good decision and then to have the trust from him and the support – those are things that you never take for granted. It makes you want to work that much harder to continue to make him look good with being able to trust us to make some of these decisions. It's never a perfect thing, but when you have that belief from ownership and that support, man, that is something that you don't take for granted and feel so grateful. And I know Les and I both share in that sentiment.”

(On where the Rams salary cap currently stands)
Snead: “I'm pleading ignorant. I don't have it next to me.”

McVay: Under $182.5 (million).

Snead: “Oh, I mean, I don't know where we're at. I thought you were asking where we exactly are. That is, that is the ceiling, right? I don’t know exactly what our total number is at this point in time.”

(On what it means about a player’s mental makeup to execute fourth-quarter comebacks)
Snead: “It would be awesome if we did have some tool to measure that in every player, especially quarterback, right? But ultimately the only way we can measure it is those particular individuals that have those opportunities on stage. And if I go to a golf analogy, it's different playing a major on Sunday afternoon than it is on Thursday. There's this set of human beings that can handle that pressure, that thrive under that pressure, because those windows get tighter, the putts seem longer, but they seem to be able to consistently, when that situation arise to go and break people like Sean's heart when he was the offensive coordinator with Kirk Cousins. What's interesting about the momentum is, I think when you have those type of players, I think when we watch games as fans on Sundays or Mondays or Thursdays, when Matthew Stafford, when Aaron Rodgers, when some of those players, when a Tom Brady, you take the lead and you kickoff and they got one more series. Everyone from everyone in the stands, opposing, home team, the announcers, whatever, are thinking, ‘Uh oh, I bet you that team wishes they hadn't kicked off.’ So, it’s why coaching staffs would love to be able to execute that four to six-minute offense and get in victory (formation) instead of kicking off to players like Matthew and some of the others who have proven over time.”

McVay: “I think what's so impressive about those situations as well, is when you are very regulated and predictable in terms of what kind of plays you're activating offensively – you're in a known-passing situation, even though you might have four downs, if you're playing for a touchdown, or if you're trying to get in field goal range, just the intricacies of what that entails, just playing the position, moving, manipulating, the way that these guys rush now, the way that you see on stop clock some of these pressures, even you've got teams now being able to get to exotic running clock pressures. And so, I think just being able to play that position with the type of pressure in those circumstances. You talk about mental toughness, being your best when your best is required, that competitive greatness, those are all the things that that reflects and that's what's so exciting and you definitely don't ever feel like it's too big for him. I think a lot of people will make certain expectations when you acquire a player like Matthew but he's just about going to work, trying to influence and effect this team and his teammates the right way, try to win and be where your feet are planted and that's what I'm so excited about getting the opportunity to go to work with him."

Snead: "I would say this, an interesting add too, there's a lot of times with quarterbacks, you don't find out that until they get to the NFL, because from high school to college, they're rarely behind at the end of the game. Usually, their teams up by a lot. Right? Because they were elite talents at that high school or college level."
(On what can be learned from the Week 17 game with QB John Wolford at the quarterback position)

McVay: "I would say that was with (QB) John (Wolford) leading the way. You saw us activate some different ways to run him and take advantage of his athleticism. I think really the play that got John going in that game was the scramble on the third-and-long creating with his legs, and so Matthew brings the ability to extend plays and create with his legs, but in a lot of instances, some of the unique things he's done are creating off schedule by moving, manipulating and staying in the pocket, but he still can put it down and be
able to make plays with his legs. So, I think those are things that we're excited about learning. The more that I've studied him, you've always had an appreciation for him from afar, but then when you really say, 'All right, let's cut up every single throw for the last handful of years. Let's really implement. Let's be able to think about activating some of these concepts that we're seeing him consistently have success with,' That's going to be an ongoing and evolving process as we gear towards whenever our opener is and that's why you're hopeful that you can have an offseason program. And if not, then we'll operate the same way that everybody else will be forced to."

(On if there was a point where they started to lose confidence in Goff)
Snead: "I think even after the season, very similar to the Matthew Stafford situation, I think Sean being able to work with John Wolford and that element of mobility and what that added to the offense probably led to some of that as well. But it was mainly opportunity and I'll say this, yes, just like myself as a general manager, you'd love to have a few decisions back, I'm sure Jared would love to have a few throws back along the way, but at the end of the day, since drafting Jared, he's been a part of winning a lot of games, a lot of success around here. So, the big things that occurred was John Wolford, his mobility, what that added to Sean's toolbox and then the opportunity to acquire a proven QB with a lot of experience."

McVay: "Everybody wants to pinpoint a moment. There's not, there's so many things that go into these things. I think it's the most difficult position in all of sports. What I will say is, when you really step back, you take the emotions out of it, and you're really able to evaluate the entirety of it, I stand by the things that I said when we last spoke, about you can't deny the resume and the production and the leadership and everything that he's done that's good. I think that's important to reflect and I think he's earned that. On a real positive, which I think was really impressive, is when you look at his last couple games, to come in right after he had recently gotten a thumb surgery to help lead us to a victory against the Seahawks, knowing what a tough team they are and then I thought he played really well against Green Bay. There weren't as many opportunities and there's a couple things. It was asked earlier about when we ended up making it a one possession game, our defense gets a stop. He makes a good decision on a first down and we drop a ball. I think, maybe you're driving, and you possibly score, and it changes some things as far as, the outcome of that game. But, Green Bay's a great team, but I thought Jared played really well. I thought he saw the field well, made good decisions and there definitely wasn't like anything in particular. You're always evaluating the entirety with that body of work and there's so many things that go into that day in and day out."

(On when they had the opportunity to play Wolford, if that give McVay a new scope of what he wanted in a quarterback and if Wolford was available in the Divisional Round, would he have started him)
McVay: "What I would say is, with John, it's a different player. The same ways that when I was in Washington and you work with (QB) Kirk Cousins, or (QB) Colt McCoy, or (QB) Robert Griffin (III), then you come here and you work with Jared, you're always shaping things around that player. And kind of like what I mentioned earlier, John brings an element of athleticism and the ability to activate him as a runner, which can change the math in your favor offensively with a lot of the ways that defenses try to defend you. We're not going to be running too many zone reads with Matthew Stafford, I can promise you that. But it's all about just getting to know. I think when you look at what Matthew's done over the course of his career, and we're going to shape the offense to our players, and he's going to be a huge part of that. We're in the process of doing that right now and that's why you're hopeful that you can have an offseason to be able to get that thing started."

(On if Snead feels as a general manager that he did enough to put pieces around Goff to be successful)
Snead: "At times, definitely we had pieces, but as a general manager, you're going to always remember the losses or maybe the seasons that didn't go quite as well as envisioned when the season started. So, that's always a model that is adjusting and things like that, but I do think as we've seen over the years, on that side of the ball and partnering Jared with Sean, his staff and a lot of those core players on the offensive side of the ball. Over the last four years, they've done things that are probably better. I would say a lot of top-five, top-three, top-four, top-two type data that they've all produced, so give those guys credit."

(On the decision to trade DL Michael Brockers)
Snead: "Yeah, interestingly this is, as we say around here, it's we over me, but if you take the me for a moment, myself as an individual I've always said, it would be like you as a probably a rookie investor and picking a blue-chip stock that just kept returning a lot of awesome dividends. But at the end of the day, we did try to work with Mike (DL Michael Brockers) to restructure and wasn't able to get that done. Because of who he is and how he still plays was able to find a home, so he could go in and move on and continue his career. The Lions wanted to extend his contract and things like that, so we tried to find a win-win for both the Rams and Michael in that situation. But yes, it definitely did have to do with cap."

(On losing four defensive starters in the last few days and coaching personnel on the defensive side of the ball and if it will be a setback for the Rams)
McVay: "I don't think you would ever look at it. You've always got to have contingency plans in place. You lose great coaches, but you bring in who you think are great coaches. When you've got foundational pieces like (DL) Aaron Donald, like (CB) Jalen Ramsey, you see the ascension as some of these younger players, you're able to resign (OLB) Leonard Floyd. Moving on from, first of all, those guys that you mentioned, you talk about (S) John Johnson (III), what he's meant to this organization since he got here from day one, the impact, the leadership, all those things, the caliber of player he is, the playmaker, the versatility, the Browns are getting a great one, as are the Browns getting in (CB) Troy Hill, a really productive playmaker that can play inside and outside. You see him score three touchdowns this year. Those are two big losses on the backend and John was able to, both those guys really were able to play multiple spots on the back seven. Then you talk about Michael Brockers and what an unbelievable leader he's been. I went on and on about how great it was to be able to have him, I stand by those comments. That's what's been so difficult about the uncertainty behind coming after a pandemic, where you're projecting lot of things, you've got to figure out ways to make it all fit with the puzzle and Michael was a part of that puzzle moving forward. Unfortunately, we couldn't come to an agreement and that's really a credit to the caliber of player that he still is and what he's doing, but he will be missed. Then Morgan Fox, what an awesome deal for him to earn the right to go do his deal in Carolina. The versatility that he demonstrated was really instrumental in our success but what that means is, you're counting on some young guys to step up. You look at (CB) Darious Williams, he's done an outstanding job that you tender him as a one, which is what we felt like his worth was to us. You're going to ask some guys like (CB) David Long (Jr.) to really step up, when you lose a Troy Hill. You invest in the safety position the last couple of years with (S) Taylor Rapp, (S) Terrell Burgess, we saw what (S) Jordan Fuller was able to do. Those are three guys that we're very excited about. Then we've got some young guys up front. We had signed (DL) A'Shawn Robinson last year as a result of what we thought was losing Michael Brockers. He had some situations and we're excited about the development for him and I think (DL) Sebastian Joseph-Day is a guy that continues to show why he is a special interior player and those are the guys that are going to be asked to step up. So, to say you're going to take a step back, there's too much work that goes into it. There's too many people I still have confidence in, while not minimizing the huge impact that those four players that you mentioned had on the success of our defense in particular last year."

(On what Snead remembers about scouting Stafford in 2009)
Snead: "I do know the memory that always sticks out at that particular time, the Falcons had (QB) Matt Ryan, so obviously we weren't in the, let's call it franchise quarterback market, and I think he went No. 1 overall, so we weren't picking that low, but I do remember, Atlanta, especially our facility, it's probably about a 30-minute drive to Athens. I can promise you this, you'll probably get a ticket on the way. So, the drive would end up being about 50 minutes, it was always a great speed trap. but rolling over to that pro day was probably in my time, I wasn't at the (QB) Sam Bradford pro day, but probably the best pro day from a quarterback standpoint. Obviously being in Atlanta, it's all country. You watched Matt, whether it's live games or on television from afar as a fan, as an NFL executive, what have you. But I just remember that pro day that ball was coming out of his wrist with a lot of velocity, a lot of accuracy in it, and it's something that is stamped in my brain for and it's still there. You could feel that ball, you're like, 'Okay, this is different. This is different.'"

(On McVay's thoughts on why there is instability at the quarterback position across the league)
McVay: "Yeah and then you can talk about guys like the Mahomes, the Rodgers, you look at what Tom Brady's doing. So, there's a lot of examples. I think it's just what you mentioned, the difficulty of the position and the caliber of play that you have to display week in and week out to be able to keep up with these defensive players, these coaches, the intricacies of how the game and the landscape of the league has evolved over the last couple years. I just think it's such a difficult position to evaluate because so many of the things that are really situationally driven, can't be evaluated until you're put in those situations, snap in and snap out and I think in particular, when you look at Matthew, he's a guy that has had a lot of experience and that repetition can be the mother of learning if you take them the right way. Take those experiences, both the good and the bad you learn from it. When you watch his play, he strikes me as somebody that's absolutely done that and I'm excited about being able to kind of pair up with him and our coaches and the rest of our players and figure out how to make us the most explosive and productive offense with him guiding the ship."

(On how the addition of Stafford will affect personnel on the offensive side of the ball)
Snead: “It seems like if we answered that we'd be tipping our hand.”
(On if anything has changed philosophically with the addition of Stafford)
Snead: “Let’s take it with the arrival of Stafford – let's say if we weren't able to bring him in. I think every year Sean would sit down and try to determine as they worked through their cut ups of how he wants to evolve the offense. I call it genre of flavors of players that we might need that might add to his arsenal or what he's trying to do. So, I think you're always going to have to take a step back and go, okay, who do we have? What are we trying to do? Is there anyone or any particular skillset that could add to help us again with the intent of improving on a Sunday afternoons.”

McVay: “Yeah, a lot of the same. You always look at it and you say, ‘Okay, what do we currently have? What do we want to operate? What has been consistent with these teams or offenses we've been a part of that are able to dictate the terms of being able to run it, throw it, or stay in those manageable situations.’ A lot of the things that you want to do in terms of who you want to onboard through those different avenues are a product of what do you currently have in place and how do you see the team or the 11 guys on offense fitting together to be the best offense. I've said it before, football is the ultimate team game. It's the greatest team sport there is and that's why it's so important to really be able to have depth at all those spots, but then I think skill sets that complement one another so it can be versatile in terms of what you can activate and the different ways you can apply pressure to defenses.”

(On their impressions of Floyd and resigning him this offseason)
Snead: “I think one of the big reasons Leonard was valuable to us is probably in how you asked the question, ‘edge rusher’. We felt like in that position it evolved there last year, it's more than just an edge rusher. Leonard's a special athlete with instincts to play the run game, set edges, the AA (athletic ability) to run games along that front seven. You have to be athletic. You have to be able to have the instincts to run those games and run those plays and have that AA to close and finish those games and be more than just a disruptor. And then there's the element of him being able to be tough in coverage and someone that quarterbacks have to shoot over, because he is tall and long when he does drop back. Sometimes the guys in our division were chasing down, that unique trait, that AA to redirect when all of the sudden the play becomes unscheduled and then have the speed after he does redirect to go chase them down. So very versatile player for us and more than just an edge rusher even though everyone, all coaches, are going to want players to help rush in and affect the passer. But I think with him, it definitely should be said that he is a versatile player and more than just an edge rusher in our minds.”

McVay: “Yeah, all the same. I mean, I’m really jacked up to have him back. You watch his tape and I think he earned that respect across the league with what he did in Chicago, but especially this past year, people that you really value their opinions, I think there was consistency amongst those people that are really studying the film though, know what it looks like and the way they saw him. He was a major, major contributor to what we did defensively this past year.”

(On if he would have continued to have Goff as QB if Stafford wasn’t available)
McVay: “I mean, if we didn't then I think that'd be the circumstances and the situation that we're in, but that did occur. That's kind of where we're at right now and moving forward with the anticipation of kind of anxiously awaiting when we can start connecting and doing football together. And excited about John
Wolford continuing to progress and improve, I think he can really gain a lot from the experiences that he had. I’m really excited about just that group in general, but I haven't really spent too much time thinking about the what ifs. It was more of all right, now it's official and full speed ahead, here we go.”

(On if they remember the moment they heard Stafford wanted a trade)
McVay: “Yeah, I do. I got a text from some coaches when it was released. I think (NFL Inside Reporter Adam) Schefter tweeted it out, or something, that he was available and then the dialogue starts. I think things came together probably a lot quicker than anybody could have ever anticipated, but we were pleased with the end result.”

Snead: “If I remember, I do believe it was maybe a Sunday. I'm not sure, but I can remember because of the relationship with (Lions General Manager) Brad (Holmes). Brad had never told me that was the case, but I do remember breaking. When it broke, at some point that afternoon I got in touch with Brad to not necessarily dive into the Matt Stafford sweepstakes per se, because we definitely had to have a lot of discussions, but because of that relationship with Brad I remember calling Brad and going, “Hey, welcome to the GM club, per se.” It's been so long ago. If this was court, I would say that if I'd took an oath, but it does seem like that this had happened. I know this, it happened very, very, very fast in terms of it gaining momentum and I think that the add to that was a lot of speculation about quarterbacks this year, as Sean mentioned earlier. But Matthew was the one QB that was available, not just from a speculative-standpoint of being available. So, I do think every team that was looking for QBs, whether it was the teams that we're picking early in the draft this year and trying to determine if they should take the QB or not, or things like that jumped into to that chase of Matthew pretty heavily. There was a lot of suitors and a lot of momentum and it gained steam fast. It even interrupted Sean's vacation (laughs). I don’t think we at any point really planned for it to occur that fast”

(On if they are looking to restructure Stafford’s contract)
Snead: “We did everything at this point to onboard him without having to do that. I know that there's a mechanism and an opportunity to do that, but right now when we were doing our pre-planning, it was to maneuver our situation so we could onboard Matt without having to adjust.”

(On the difficulties of bringing in a new quarterback with a potentially virtual offseason)
McVay: “We'll be able to tell you after we have to do it, because we've never had to do that before. I think it's about is just time spent efficiently and effectively getting that information communicated and it's truly going to be a collaboration. A lot of these things I think he's that. I think when you look at what he's accomplished, what he's done, the film that he has, I'm excited about kind of picking his brain and being able to collaborate based on what I've seen in the different lines, offences, with different coordinators and play callers to incorporate some of those things and then be able to kind of teach him some of this stuff that we've done and figure out how to best mold it. But he strikes me as an extremely intelligent guy that would be a quick study. He's played a lot of football. There's a lot of consistent carry over when you just look at the way that offences operate around the league. It's kind of maybe just some of the minutia with the details in the way that you're coaching some of these plays and which situations or which coverages you're trying to attack when you activate them. But if that's the situation, that's what everyone has to deal with, and we'll adjust, and you won't hear any excuses for me on that front.”

(On if Stafford needs a deep threat or if there’s one already in the building)
Snead: “It seems like a loaded question, but here's what I would say, every offense probably in the NFL would love a deep threat, right? If I added to that, it doesn't necessarily have to be someone that catches one deep ball a game, those can be low-percentage throws, but when you definitely have skill players with juice, that can threaten the top-shelf of the coverage, most defense coordinators are going to want to ensure that top shelf, a lot of times that means backing some people off the ball, or committing two to cover one, and it allows some intermediate explosives to occur. So, the difficult part of the equation is finding those players who can actually threaten NFL defenders, because most players that come into this league are fast. So, there is an element where you have to really go search and identify. We'd all love to identify those guys that can even threaten NFL defenders.”

McVay: “I would say this too, we need to be more explosive offensively, but we've been a really explosive offense with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and (TE Tyler) Higbee being center pieces of it, those guys are going to continue to be that. But when you talk about opportunities, you have to call plays that give you an opportunity to be explosive and that's where my contribution is. Anytime that you have guys that can do that, that definitely is a benefit. But we have guys on our roster that have done that when you look at the big-play production from those guys in particular. Saw a lot of good things from some younger players that we drafted last year, but we're always trying to add some juice and we'll see what the next month and a half entails.”