NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - NFC West Hierarchy, Rams GM Les Snead, OC Mike LaFleur and Darious Williams
Episode Date: July 29, 2025Gregg 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. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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                                        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 Roderick and my other friend, J.B. Long, the voice of the Los Angeles, Rams. We just saw J.B.
                                         
                                        Walking around. We said, we got to get him on the show. Also, my friend. No, I mean, that's important, but not as important. Welcome, J.B.
                                         
                                        I appreciate both of your friendship and your appearance. A couple of Gs over there and a you and Jordan. I've been living vicariously through your world travels and your culinary experiences and your book recommendations. So thank you.
                                         
    
                                        you for keeping my off-season turning.
                                         
                                        Deep cuts.
                                         
                                        Shout out to, yeah, anyone wanting a book recommendation.
                                         
                                        The Safe Keep is now up there as my top book of the year, by the way.
                                         
                                        One thing I love about J.B.
                                         
                                        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 compliments.
                                         
                                        He does deep cut very specific compliments that make you feel incredibly seen.
                                         
    
                                        It shows that it's not thing.
                                         
                                        It shows that he's actually done the work to be friends with me.
                                         
                                        And full disclosure.
                                         
                                        And also with me.
                                         
                                        Yeah. You guys said that I could have a 50 pack of fresh NFL daily index cards if I just said one or two nice things about you.
                                         
                                        They are. They are awesome. And we're going to be using them. 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 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,
                                         
                                        Les Sneed will be joining us,
                                         
    
                                        the general manager of the Rams,
                                         
                                        the offensive coordinator,
                                         
                                        Mike LaFleur,
                                         
                                        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
                                         
                                        the listeners are totally covered.
                                         
    
                                        A couple little items of news
                                         
                                        will hit before we talk to NFC West.
                                         
                                        Cortland Sutton got that money today.
                                         
                                        We'll see what the details are.
                                         
                                        The devil's in the details,
                                         
                                        but some guaranteed money into next year.
                                         
                                        So that's great that he'll be staying with Denver
                                         
                                        There's more on the Christian Wilkins front that was reportedly a kiss on the head that started this whole kerfuffle.
                                         
    
                                        We'll see.
                                         
                                        I think there's more to the story there, but the Raiders are coming after Christian Wilkins' money.
                                         
                                        The Titans waved 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 the NFC North are the two 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, J.B, the Rams are the favorites in the NFC West? And do you think
                                         
                                        they view themselves as the favorites? 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, who would you rather
                                         
                                        ride with the Sam Darnold's and the Kyleor 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 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. So you think there's a big difference then? So who are the two? I think the Rams and
                                         
                                        the 49ers. Okay. And to land on the question, are the Rams the favorite? Las Vegas, I think,
                                         
                                        says no. I think what's reflected there is if everyone is in agreement, the Rams are in a better place
                                         
                                        in terms of their roster, the 49ers have the edge in terms of schedule.
                                         
                                        And the difference there is probably on 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, and the Bears.
                                         
                                        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 49ers 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.
                                         
                                        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. J.B., 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 the player that Sean McVeigh really wanted to add to his offense for the present in the future and Terrence 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, Puna Ford, Devante 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 49ers, are sort of running back
                                         
                                        an ethos and identity, a continuity that they are very comfortable with.
                                         
                                        Getting Robert Salaback in San Francisco is huge for 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.
                                         
                                        And that's why this is such a chaotic space.
                                         
                                        Totally.
                                         
                                        I think you and I were both probably a year ahead on the Cardinals, if memory serves.
                                         
                                        We're kind of anticipating that last year would be a year that they would take the leap.
                                         
                                        That's a good friend right there.
                                         
    
                                        And look no 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 Trey McBride's earhold.
                                         
                                        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 some uncertainty 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 49ers.
                                         
                                        They better do it because I'm not sure who else is going to.
                                         
                                        And if the 49ers don't win 10 games, I'll have a Barnes and Noble gift card waiting for me.
                                         
                                        Okay. Another reason to root against the 49ers.
                                         
                                        I didn't really have any before, but now I definitely am.
                                         
                                        can be bought. Yes, that's what Greg needs. More books.
                                         
                                        Very, very easily.
                                         
                                        Are this Barnes and Noble still a thing?
                                         
    
                                        Yes, and J.B., they sell newspapers, too.
                                         
                                        Oh, wonderful. Okay.
                                         
                                        Coming back, it's been great.
                                         
                                        I guess I look at the Seahawks as the best defense in the division.
                                         
                                        And we were talking a little bit.
                                         
                                        I mean, you think the defenses maybe help define this division now.
                                         
                                        I think by the end of this season, more so than us talking about any of these offense.
                                         
                                        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 49ers
                                         
                                        that are in a bit 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.
                                         
                                        Young stars everywhere.
                                         
                                        They finally got Puna Ford, who they've been coveting for like so many years at this
                                         
    
                                        point, as you know, J.B.
                                         
                                        And they are.
                                         
                                        I mean, they could have just like paid them three or four million dollars a couple, like
                                         
                                        at many points along the way.
                                         
                                        So I don't want to hear that.
                                         
                                        Yes, they could have.
                                         
                                        But it's not always their call.
                                         
                                        And so, and so, but it's, 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 Chris Shula.
                                         
                                        You started seeing it coming along, that hybridization of the Fangio system,
                                         
                                        plus what Chris Shula likes to run, plus some of this Minter McDonald's system as well.
                                         
                                        It's mashing it all together and seeing what works with these hyperathletes.
                                         
                                        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 can inform for the rest of the
                                         
                                        league after the season ends. Small sample 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 we know who's playing quarterback there now,
                                         
                                        and that did not go Sam Donald's way.
                                         
    
                                        last January.
                                         
                                        Right.
                                         
                                        Look, Sam Darnold 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 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 in the NFL.
                                         
                                        That all like makes sense to me.
                                         
    
                                        Their quarterback is not practicing yet.
                                         
                                        He's 37 years old.
                                         
                                        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 quarterback's healthy.
                                         
    
                                        But that was the worst 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 12 to 14 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 for you and all these people here as a Rams.
                                         
                                        Of all the things you said, and there are legitimate concerns, I think the range of outcomes is still pretty wide for the 2025 Los Angeles Rams.
                                         
                                        But of all the things you mentioned there, 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 years in which they were expected to be good
                                         
                                        and deliver on expectations and this is Los Angeles and they've had a pretty good run here
                                         
                                        of sustained expectations. Fiery and I like it. I'm not totally disagreeing with you. I think you
                                         
                                        made some really good points but I would actually add one thing to your to your list. I think that
                                         
                                        they're better at handling high expectations because of what they went through in 2022.
                                         
                                        And 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 anyone had ever seen like the incredible, like alien things he could do with the football out in L.A.
                                         
                                        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.
                                         
                                        But I think that 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 at his 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.
                                         
    
                                        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 one with Jordan and Greg.
                                         
                                        Stop it.
                                         
                                        Stop.
                                         
                                        He is spot on, as always.
                                         
                                        Yeah, she mentioned the front office of the Rams.
                                         
                                        We're going to hear from Les Need in just a second before we let go of J.B.
                                         
                                        You're here every day.
                                         
                                        Jordan's been here as well, but is there just like a place?
                                         
    
                                        We miss her on the day.
                                         
                                        She's not.
                                         
                                        Is there, is there a, 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 you find interesting, just something to maybe watch about this team?
                                         
                                        I'm in the low hanging fruit, but do you want to talk to Vante Adams at all here?
                                         
                                        If you want, if he's looking like, he's looking fresh.
                                         
                                        His numbers would say yes, but playing more than I think the outside would expect out of the slot.
                                         
                                        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 past catching unit the Rams have had since OBJ crumpled to the turf at SoFi in their Super Bowl win.
                                         
                                        I think it fits.
                                         
                                        I think they have a really high ceiling.
                                         
                                        And I think as it pertains to the NFC West,
                                         
                                        which I know is 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.
                                         
    
                                        Let's rephrase that a little bit.
                                         
                                        No, I think it's great.
                                         
                                        I think it's great.
                                         
                                        Poor garbage.
                                         
                                        She was the one who got weird about it.
                                         
                                        I had to try to catch him.
                                         
                                        He's so nice.
                                         
                                        I just had to try to catch him off guys just a little bit.
                                         
    
                                        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 respect 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 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.
                                         
                                        No, 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 the one thing about the last few years,
                                         
                                        I haven't understood as people talking about that, like, Devante Adams has slipped.
                                         
                                        If he has, like, it slipped to still being a top 15 receiver.
                                         
                                        So having those two wide outs together alone makes them as good a group as possible,
                                         
                                        and then the depth, I think, at the tight end position,
                                         
                                        and obviously 2-2's been here.
                                         
    
                                        Well, that's what Sean McVey said, right?
                                         
                                        J.B., he wanted to be more versatile, more multiple on offense
                                         
                                        than he was able to be over the last couple 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 an identity in the past game.
                                         
    
                                        And they wanted to build more layers into the past game.
                                         
                                        That is really the reason.
                                         
                                        why they went out and got Devante Adams is to build those layers similar to the first half of
                                         
                                        that Super Bowl. Cut this out because I know you're running long 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 it refreshes Sean. I think it's
                                         
    
                                        all of those things. I think they are the most likely NFC West team to win or play in the Super
                                         
                                        Bowl. I really do. 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 17 games at a really high level that they're going to need to win
                                         
                                        those regular season games because it's so difficult. We will see. 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 to. But I love this.
                                         
                                        Cosine. Yes. I know. You literally walked here and you do to camp every day. It is a home game
                                         
    
                                        for J.B. Let's take a quick break and we will hear from less need on the other side.
                                         
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                                        Oh, my.
                                         
    
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                                        What's up, everybody?
                                         
                                        Daniel Jeremiah here.
                                         
    
                                        And I'm Bucky Brooks.
                                         
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                                        We are back on NFL Daily, and we are so excited to be joined by the General
                                         
                                        manager of the Los Angeles Rams less need who insisted before we started taping that he wants
                                         
    
                                        to hold an official NFL Daily card.
                                         
                                        This is where all the answers are.
                                         
                                        If you had written something on that no card, what would it say to be prepared for an
                                         
                                        interview like this?
                                         
                                        Tell them nothing.
                                         
                                        That's good.
                                         
                                        You know, I was looking.
                                         
                                        Be interesting tell them nothing.
                                         
    
                                        Although Jordan is like we're in church now.
                                         
                                        start giggling.
                                         
                                        She's starting to laugh so this could mess them.
                                         
                                        You guys know each other too.
                                         
                                        I can't even look at it.
                                         
                                        I'm just happy he's not chomping on a freaking piece of gum right now.
                                         
                                        I was so worried about that.
                                         
                                        What's wrong with gum?
                                         
    
                                        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 you.
                                         
                                        That's how I would interpret it.
                                         
                                        Who's someone that is known for chewing gum?
                                         
                                        It's got to be a baseball.
                                         
                                        Somebody in baseball.
                                         
    
                                        Big League chew, some managers.
                                         
                                        But he takes it out for the other.
                                         
                                        Okay, that is Pete Carroll.
                                         
                                        He owns that.
                                         
                                        He really does.
                                         
                                        I like it.
                                         
                                        Yeah, don't want to follow in his footsteps with the gum.
                                         
                                        We had you back 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 St. Louis.
                                         
                                        I did the math.
                                         
                                        This will be your 14th season.
                                         
                                        There's only one general manager in the league if we're not counting owners.
                                         
                                        I'm not counting Jerry Jones or Mike Brown.
                                         
                                        He counts.
                                         
                                        He's got the title.
                                         
                                        He doesn't count.
                                         
    
                                        Yeah, only one general manager in the league, uninterrupted, has had.
                                         
                                        the job longer than you Lesney.
                                         
                                        That's Mickey Loomis.
                                         
                                        Howie's close, but they like moved them 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?
                                         
                                        I wish I knew that answer.
                                         
                                        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 by a lot of quality people.
                                         
                                        At the end of the day, the Los Angeles Rams is a collective of a bunch of special people or people with special gifts, edges, things that differentiate them.
                                         
                                        And we're trying to, we're trying to engineer a collective that's competent, that's very competent, that's highly competent in a 32-team league.
                                         
                                        So that's one of the keys is making sure there's a lot of people not only that bringing a head.
                                         
                                        edge to the Rams, but or willing to, at some level along the way, sacrifice for the good of the Los Angeles Rams.
                                         
                                        We were just, 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 plan to be this offseason with some of the moves you made in free agency, Puna Ford, Devante Adams.
                                         
                                        the draft the way you drafted
                                         
                                        drafting for depth in key areas
                                         
    
                                        drafting for a change-up
                                         
                                        a little bit of a change-up
                                         
                                        skill set in other areas
                                         
                                        drafting and
                                         
                                        plucking
                                         
                                        bringing people 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
                                         
                                        which I think was the
                                         
                                        quote that lasts from it
                                         
                                        what did that set off
                                         
                                        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 like that through that in there at the end.
                                         
                                        I like that.
                                         
                                        Tom will tell when we see him throw it.
                                         
                                        You can tell he's chomping at the bit.
                                         
                                        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, you can tell he's antsy.
                                         
                                        he wants to get out. The key is, is when we renewed our vows, we then knew, okay, 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, as we've remodeled this thing back when you were covering us as a beat rider and since you've
                                         
                                        moved on to the big time. Was that like two months ago? 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 was trying to you know but they weren't they were i say they
                                         
                                        uh our riders because so we had fun talking about that the point i'm trying to make is we have
                                         
    
                                        efficacy in that uh 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 now again that means
                                         
                                        nothing all that does is show that the core we have knows they can go compete for division
                                         
                                        It means nothing in 2025, because we haven't kicked off yet.
                                         
                                        We hadn't played a game yet.
                                         
                                        We aren't who we are going to be 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 it 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 call it in our continuing of the remodel.
                                         
                                        To that end, 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?
                                         
                                        Or what point in the off season are you thinking like we can maybe get this done?
                                         
                                        I think, again, they were going through a regime change in New York.
                                         
                                        The Jets there knew his 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 their, let's call it,
                                         
                                        what a reimagining of their regime there.
                                         
                                        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?
                                         
                                        Les, one of the themes of just not only the football side,
                                         
                                        but also the scouting and 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 challenges you guys in certain ways
                                         
                                        in both of those areas.
                                         
    
                                        What do you think it is about that 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?
                                         
                                        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.
                                         
    
                                        We try, I call it.
                                         
                                        If you're, we've all seen it in the NFL, whether it's a certain player or a 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 18 week, 17 game season, 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 32 team lead where the margin of victory and margin of loss is
                                         
    
                                        not a lot of points. So it's just in your DNA, if you get in this, that, okay, we have to
                                         
                                        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 people were going to catch up with you
                                         
    
                                        and probably patchy. Jordan
                                         
                                        actually went back and listened to the
                                         
                                        old interviews you 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
                                         
                                        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 certain point, is it too much? There 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 in the pro scotting
                                         
                                        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.
                                         
                                        And 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, Ohio State game a thousand times.
                                         
                                        I remember the year before, Michigan, Washington, Washington, Texas,
                                         
                                        those final four games.
                                         
                                        Because when you get everybody involved, it's like,
                                         
                                        oh, we want to go to, we just saw that game on,
                                         
                                        television is good. And usually there's a lot of players on it. So yeah, the answer to your question is
                                         
    
                                        preparation is key. There is an element where okay just just you know put the clicker down make a
                                         
                                        decision. I feel like I'm getting scolded. Yeah, an indirect way to just for me to like take a little
                                         
                                        shot at Jordan. But I think you did she's probably very well following what it says on that no
                                         
                                        card that you just threw down that you got to throw it down and then you just got to go. It was very
                                         
                                        entertaining but you gave away nothing. Talking about the draft,
                                         
                                        it did make me think about your guys' situation.
                                         
                                        What if I took your card?
                                         
                                        It's fine.
                                         
    
                                        Take it, do it.
                                         
                                        No.
                                         
                                        There's nothing bad on there, but no.
                                         
                                        Is there a little feeling of you that's going to feel bad this year
                                         
                                        rooting against your old friends, Rahim 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 Rams in it.
                                         
                                        And will that possibly change, like, how you're evaluating this draft in general?
                                         
    
                                        Business is business.
                                         
                                        And, yeah, so you won't feel bad, Rudy.
                                         
                                        Business is business.
                                         
                                        You got it.
                                         
                                        No, I didn't tell you whether I'd feel bad or not.
                                         
                                        Yeah, yeah, 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, Brad Holmes in Detroit.
                                         
                                        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 the show, been on the show.
                                         
                                        I invited him on before me.
                                         
                                        I mean, you're welcome.
                                         
                                        You're always welcome to come on.
                                         
                                        We could go back.
                                         
    
                                        James is Jordan's favorite.
                                         
                                        I have no favorite.
                                         
                                        I have no favorite.
                                         
                                        In the pulling, like, are we going to pull?
                                         
                                        pull against right when we go to london business is business like i i i want we want to punch james
                                         
                                        jordan's pulling for james business is business you know what i'm going to go there you got a lot
                                         
                                        the hurt probably one of the toughest thing you do in sports is it's it's go somewhere and
                                         
                                        engineer and identity now they're just starting in jackson boat 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
                                         
                                        which is, you know, in Van and Air in Chicago and New York.
                                         
                                        But to go and do that, that's easier said than done.
                                         
                                        Give them credit.
                                         
                                        Because now you, it just fills Detroit what they've done, right?
                                         
                                        I don't know if we could.
                                         
                                        I could maybe chat GPT could articulate it.
                                         
                                        But it just feels Detroit.
                                         
    
                                        We're anti-Chap.
                                         
                                        We're very anti-Chap on this show.
                                         
                                        We've decided to take that stance.
                                         
                                        I don't know how you feel about that.
                                         
                                        But I will ask, I will say,
                                         
                                        less. No comment. It is. 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 the team building, not the pitfalls, not the things to look out
                                         
    
                                        for, you know, not the doing the media all the time, whatever, the advice that maybe you gave 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. It's interesting. The number one is
                                         
                                        go be who 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 to life or that is his and his staff's
                                         
                                        responsibility to bring it life. So that partnership has to begin and then and then they have
                                         
                                        to combine the DNAs and engineer. That's number one. You can't take the Rams and take it somewhere else.
                                         
                                        Because because Sean and our, my party, we're in everyone in the building, we're nine, ten, however many years into it.
                                         
    
                                        So you can't go and do what we're doing now.
                                         
                                        They're day one.
                                         
                                        That takes time.
                                         
                                        So that's the two things.
                                         
                                        Be who you are, partner with, 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.
                                         
                                        And then number two, remember, just.
                                         
    
                                        You can't just take us there.
                                         
                                        And number three, like, don't, you can't beat us in London because that would, that feels like, you know, ready, 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.
                                         
                                        Oh, that, yeah, I'd lose some sleep.
                                         
                                        Paralysis by overanalysis.
                                         
                                        That is Lesley, 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.
                                         
                                        You saw him on a card.
                                         
                                        He was on a card.
                                         
                                        Here with Mike Lafleur, the third-year offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, fixing the mic before.
                                         
                                        He says 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 and Pooka Nakua at the same time?
                                         
                                        And how are you looking to kind of make them?
                                         
                                        the best that they can be together.
                                         
                                        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 it's cool to have those guys out there and with 2-2.
                                         
                                        I mean, those three right there.
                                         
                                        I think they play so well off each other in terms of what their skill sets are.
                                         
                                        And I know our quarterbacks like to have them.
                                         
                                        Mike, you've coached so many receivers, so many different types of receivers.
                                         
                                        I know you like to learn just as much as you like to coach.
                                         
                                        What is Devante 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 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 in 2014.
                                         
                                        And there's so many great receivers in this league.
                                         
                                        but being able to see all these different guys and now to be with Devante obviously had a semi-history with them
                                         
                                        because obviously paying attention to him in Green Bay and always thought he was one of the best, if not the best receivers.
                                         
                                        And what I've learned at North of 30 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
                                         
    
                                        in how they approach the day-to-day, you know, how he approaches the meetings, you know, what questions he's asking,
                                         
                                        how he's 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 we're happy to have him. I think about your role as the offensive coordinator. Of course,
                                         
                                        listeners will know Sean McVeigh, 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 those changes and how that all works. Yeah, I mean, it's, first of all collaborative all
                                         
                                        the time, right? Sean's awesome with that in terms of just delegating 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 job easier
                                         
                                        because it's already hard enough, right, with having to 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.
                                         
                                        It comes across my desk as football stuff, schematic stuff, right?
                                         
                                        And I got the relationship with those offensive guys.
                                         
                                        Way, 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 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.
                                         
                                        You know, and 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.
                                         
                                        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 your noggin there, Mike,
                                         
                                        to be able to stay ahead and make sure that he has basically your lead blocking for all of the
                                         
                                        install, all the things that he has to do, the notes that he needs, the install to cut up,
                                         
                                        all the things that you guys are going to build and create, you have to also be one step
                                         
    
                                        ahead of the person who is ahead of most other teams in this league.
                                         
                                        Are you okay, first of all?
                                         
                                        Do you sleep?
                                         
                                        Are you well?
                                         
                                        I do. You know, he's obviously, I mean, if there's a 25th hour in the day, he's going to find that hour. But no, you know, I mean, I think going into year three, it's the familiarity with the organization, with working with him, with working with, you know, Ryan Wendellar 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, 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, it's
                                         
                                        not as crazy as you think. I mean, he's, he finds his time, especially now that he's got
                                         
                                        little Jordan at home and stuff like that. If it's not football, he's with his family in the
                                         
                                        off season. He's got his family by him all the time. He's also got your chair wired. So, you know,
                                         
    
                                        if you didn't say that it wasn't as bad that I think it is, then maybe your chair just blows up
                                         
                                        all of a sudden, you know. You'd rather have it that way. 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 2025 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 time to pivot? How do you know when it's time to
                                         
                                        not just adjust the small things, but really start to make the ripple 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 Devante and
                                         
                                        Tutu. How do you know when it's time to move to that new thing? 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 Tutu knows exactly, not that he didn't know what
                                         
                                        his role was, but Tutu's a starter. You know, he's going into this thing and obviously got Puka and
                                         
                                        Tay. So you always started. There's a foundation, no doubt, within all our offenses. And then you
                                         
                                        build it around the skill set of these guys, like what we're going to do with Tay's 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 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, the defenses are on the league now.
                                         
    
                                        Like, I don't know what coverage they're in half the time.
                                         
                                        They're showing shell.
                                         
                                        They got so many different, like you cut a split, you know,
                                         
                                        or you're outside the numbers.
                                         
                                        It can change so many things, even though it's just one call.
                                         
                                        So what does that mean from an offense perspective?
                                         
                                        Given these guys, I'm 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.
                                         
                                        How often is that in season, too? 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 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 to the office.
                                         
                                        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 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 your players
                                         
                                        can do best.
                                         
                                        So, you know, if you give yourself that menu, not trying to be the jack of all trades master
                                         
                                        or 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 and
                                         
                                        why?
                                         
                                        And then you, you know, try to pivot off of that, 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 live in it week to week.
                                         
                                        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, you know?
                                         
                                        What's something about Matthew Stafford?
                                         
    
                                        You came here now a couple seasons ago that maybe you wouldn't have known about him,
                                         
                                        but before you got a chance to work with him every day.
                                         
                                        How much time you got?
                                         
                                        Oh, how much time do you have?
                                         
                                        We'll keep you as long as you can.
                                         
                                        We can talk golf game.
                                         
                                        We can talk about whatever.
                                         
                                        He's not going to save you.
                                         
    
                                        Chase looks busy right now, so I'm waiting for the old finger to come on 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 drafted, I was, you know, in college as well.
                                         
                                        So you're paying attention to it.
                                         
                                        And 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.
                                         
                                        into his 37th year or whatever it is 17th um but uh so all that talent stuff all that the
                                         
                                        toughness is all but like what a good dude like it's um he's just a guy's guy he's an awesome
                                         
                                        uh dad to to the four girls and uh awesome husband Kelly um so he's just he's just a cool dude
                                         
                                        you just root for him you you love working for him because I don't like I don't I'm not as
                                         
                                        like I just work for him like whatever we can do to make his
                                         
                                        job's hard enough. And whatever we can do to make it as easy as possible for him,
                                         
                                        that's what you do. That's a cool mindset too, Mike, as a coach to have is 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. He's like a but um, kind of person. 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 no there's uh there's no doubt about it Sean likes his jokes you know
                                         
                                        he's got he's got him and Higby they got uh they got a whole book full of jokes that can come out
                                         
                                        at any time but uh you're right about Matthew I think that's um it's really smart yeah not just
                                         
    
                                        on the field when the ball snap but like he's got a like he's so smart that he like he doesn't even
                                         
                                        show it on people because he just he has a lot of life skills and uh
                                         
                                        street smarts that unless you knew them you probably wouldn't know that so my brother he conducts
                                         
                                        like experimental classical music that's what he writes and i'm in like i'm in sports and my sister
                                         
                                        is a marine biologist was going to throw that out there and so i'm way better in my brother i was
                                         
                                        thinking so i was thinking though you mentioned your brother a couple 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 going to be so cool i'm going to bring my kids and you're going to 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 the same stuff?
                                         
                                        I mean, he's somewhat of an like engineer conductor.
                                         
                                        He's always trying to get the fans all up at Lambo and stuff like that.
                                         
                                        So, no, but no, I'm so happy for him and proud of him.
                                         
                                        You know, obviously on a Sunday I want the L.A. 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 say he's my biggest fan and uh you know we
                                         
                                        support each other and it's just him and I and so he's uh he's losing the uh overall battle to
                                         
                                        you and uh injuries suffered weightlifting kind of overshooting yeah overshooting his boundaries there
                                         
                                        yeah we got a torn peck we got in achilles um there's countless if you ever up in san francisco
                                         
                                        ask Kyle about all the rehab he would have to do my brother so um i i get
                                         
                                        at love and all them in our staff because we always do all these like warm-up
                                         
                                        action. We don't get into the weight training until like 20 minutes in. And it's because he doesn't
                                         
                                        want me to tear an Achilles or a pet, which I appreciate. Yeah. Your brother, Matt, is at the
                                         
    
                                        forefront of like the coaches are a little too jacked these days. It makes me like
                                         
                                        uncomfortable. He's not jacked. It's a good shape. He's a good shape. 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, a veteran who's been
                                         
                                        through a few training camps now, 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 a past
                                         
    
                                        deflection at the end, right?
                                         
                                        Yes, sir, yes, sir.
                                         
                                        You know, you had to end it on your terms, you know, yeah.
                                         
                                        It was good to be back on the grass.
                                         
                                        I was told by my son Walker to let you know immediately.
                                         
                                        You're his favorite player to use in Madden.
                                         
                                        Are you aware that you bring it in Madden in the secondary?
                                         
                                        A little circle triangle, like making a lot of picks.
                                         
    
                                        He loves playing as Darius waves.
                                         
                                        Oh, no, that's cool.
                                         
                                        So I haven't played Madden since I got to the lead.
                                         
                                        I told myself, if I could play a video game,
                                         
                                        I'm going to blow it in a playbook.
                                         
                                        So I probably need to focus more to play.
                                         
                                        Oh, that's amazing. Yeah, I was, he was facetiming with Walker right before we got into 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, he said, Darius Williams, my favorite
                                         
                                        player. I was like, he's also my favorite player. So, so glad you're here with us today, Darius.
                                         
                                        Obviously, it's the first day of real football out here. You guys have been at camp for a while,
                                         
                                        ramp up period. But you've also watched Devante Adams, your new teammate for you.
                                         
                                        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? Yeah. 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. He,
                                         
    
                                        of course, like he was giving us tips. But yeah, I mean, the dudes, 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've got to come to the line with a different approach.
                                         
                                        You can't approach them every single time the same way.
                                         
                                        And I think that's going to help me personally.
                                         
                                        It's going to help all our TVs be the best we can be.
                                         
                                        I've covered you for years.
                                         
                                        I'm 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 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.
                                         
                                        Right.
                                         
                                        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.
                                         
                                        just go out there and be able to handle that side.
                                         
                                        But, I mean, the biggest thing for me,
                                         
                                        especially when I first started playing,
                                         
                                        is you've got to blot out the jerseys.
                                         
                                        Because if you focus on one specific person,
                                         
                                        you know they're that good.
                                         
    
                                        Like, you might suck yourself out.
                                         
                                        So as long as you can just rely on your training,
                                         
                                        rely on your technique,
                                         
                                        and worry about where your help is
                                         
                                        and the defense, you'll be all right.
                                         
                                        So I think when people think of the Rams,
                                         
                                        they 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 which you are,
                                         
                                        give me the identity of what you think this secondary can be as part of the
                                         
                                        defense as part of the defense.
                                         
                                        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 and grow,
                                         
                                        I think this unit is one of the closest units I've ever been a part of.
                                         
                                        So that plays a huge role.
                                         
                                        But I think, man, we got so much depth.
                                         
                                        on our team and it goes all the way down to the last player on our roster.
                                         
                                        I think any coach would probably feel comfortable at least after a couple
                                         
                                        pre-season throwing them out there.
                                         
                                        So, I mean, the big thing is we're close and we all push each other to be the best.
                                         
    
                                        Darius, I know 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.
                                         
                                        it felt like they were telling us what they felt this roster was because they found a couple of
                                         
                                        depth guys. They 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? Yeah, I think so. 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 they chose this group for a reason. They could have went out and got anybody, you
                                         
                                        know, these are executives are from the GM to the scouting to Coach McVey and the coaches.
                                         
                                        They know what to look for.
                                         
                                        Like, this is an organization that knows how 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 there was a weakness somewhere, they would have pointed it out.
                                         
                                        Do you ever shock some of the younger guys when they first come in that you were once
                                         
                                        an undrafted free agent?
                                         
                                        Does that shock them?
                                         
                                        Yeah, that's what I tell them.
                                         
                                        I mean, Josh is, like, one of my biggest guys.
                                         
                                        I'm like, like, Josh Wallace.
                                         
    
                                        Okay.
                                         
                                        Yeah.
                                         
                                        So, I mean, it's a process.
                                         
                                        And like I said, like these, it's different if, I mean, you have undrafted guys and we're just thrown out 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.
                                         
    
                                        Wait, so did you just drop some news?
                                         
                                        You want to be a GM or something?
                                         
                                        something.
                                         
                                        Not not will be.
                                         
                                        Let's be clear on that.
                                         
                                        You know, Madden is pretty good.
                                         
                                        Like, Dynasty mode.
                                         
                                        You know, you're making the same time.
                                         
    
                                        Just saying, it's good practice.
                                         
                                        Yeah, if the opportunity presents itself, I mean, I would gladly take that road.
                                         
                                        But, you know, I'll go wherever God sends me.
                                         
                                        Darius, I wanted to ask you, you've played, this defense has evolved a few times.
                                         
                                        When you were here, it 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.
                                         
    
                                        what is it about this defense that's sort of meeting what offenses are doing around the league in this moment?
                                         
                                        What is it about this defense that's sort of ready for how offenses have innovated right now?
                                         
                                        I think, man, you just, you got to have the dogs up front.
                                         
                                        And I think you've got to have the guys who can cover in the back room.
                                         
                                        And as versatile as this defense is, as many pieces that 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 going to be good.
                                         
                                        you can do whatever you want with it.
                                         
                                        I mean, sometimes you've got to cover this guy Puka Nakua in practice who's causing a riot
                                         
    
                                        about a hundred feet away from you signing some things just going crazy.
                                         
                                        He's like a matinee star.
                                         
                                        Like, what's he like to cover?
                                         
                                        I mean, Puga's a dog.
                                         
                                        I mean, one thing that makes Puka super special is his explosiveness.
                                         
                                        He's got just a sudden explosiveness.
                                         
                                        And then obviously after the catch.
                                         
                                        So, I mean, the timing with the quarterbacks is obviously a big help.
                                         
    
                                        But, I mean, he's got a great explosive step, so that's big.
                                         
                                        And then it just stops.
                                         
                                        That was what got me today watching just like the start to stop is just,
                                         
                                        that's got to be tough to deal with.
                                         
                                        But that's why you've stuck around and done such a great job over the years.
                                         
                                        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.
                                         
                                        Appreciate you.
                                         
    
                                        We're not sponsored by Madden.
                                         
                                        You should know that.
                                         
                                        We're not.
                                         
                                        I'm just saying you're delivering.
                                         
                                        my son, so that just makes me like you even more.
                                         
                                        Darius Williams, appreciate your time.
                                         
                                        Well, tell him he's one of my biggest fans now, too.
                                         
                                        Okay.
                                         
    
                                        Oh, he's listening now.
                                         
                                        Yeah.
                                         
                                        Thank you, Darius.
                                         
                                        Thank you.
                                         
                                        Thank you to Darius Williams.
                                         
                                        What a day of guests.
                                         
                                        Les Need was fantastic.
                                         
                                        Your buddy, Mike Lafleur, and Darius Williams,
                                         
    
                                        wrapping up the show here.
                                         
                                        We did watch practice.
                                         
                                        First day in pads.
                                         
                                        First day in pads.
                                         
                                        That seems exciting, but the Rams being like ultimate Rams,
                                         
                                        Devante Adams isn't even practicing.
                                         
                                        He just has a veteran day off.
                                         
                                        Matthew Stafford is out.
                                         
    
                                        It was a very short practice.
                                         
                                        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 backups as well,
                                         
                                        that second round pick at tight ends, like Jimmy G
                                         
                                        with a shot down the field to a Terrence Ferguson.
                                         
                                        So just little things that are interesting
                                         
                                        and a whole lot of Tutu Atwell in motion.
                                         
                                        In motion.
                                         
                                        Literally every single play, Tutu Atwell was in motion.
                                         
                                        Tutu Outwell, though, not a great day.
                                         
    
                                        Had a drop and couldn't get open on another play
                                         
                                        that Jimmy G was trying to hit him.
                                         
                                        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, a second round pick.
                                         
                                        And it's interesting because the Terrence Ferguson thing does not surprise me at all.
                                         
                                        He was one of Sean McVeigh'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 increased that usage last season, especially near the end of the season when Tyler Higbee returned.
                                         
                                        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 going to be interesting to watch this
                                         
    
                                        unfold, very multiple team on both sides of the ball. Yeah, they are one of the most fascinating
                                         
                                        teams. And for a minute, you know, on Monday, I believed, 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
                                         
                                        he clearly has a command of the offense and there's a lot of audibles no Jimmy G and they're
                                         
                                        talking like if we need to use Jimmy G and 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 doesn't happen yeah I think that for me I'm not necessarily
                                         
                                        worried too much about the Stafford thing until and not throwing in the back
                                         
                                        soreness until these joint practices start with the Cowboys on August 5th and
                                         
                                        then further down the 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 with him you can get the same amount of
                                         
    
                                        work done they just throw differently yes
                                         
                                        And he did have some nice connections, really, the best place they had.
                                         
                                        No surprise were to Puka 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, 74-degree weather.
                                         
                                        And he just looks like a matinee idol.
                                         
                                        And I mentioned it.
                                         
    
                                        Puka Nakuro.
                                         
                                        Yes.
                                         
                                        I mentioned it to Darius Williams and just seeing Puka, 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.
                                         
                                        He was wide open for like 20 yards.
                                         
                                        Yeah, I mean, you 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 will be going up
                                         
                                        overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
                                         
                                        We will hit all the NFC notes with our friend Patrick.
                                         
                                        Claibon. We'll be talking about Tyler Geithen, by the way. The 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 the NFL Network
                                         
                                        polo, football's back.
                                         
                                        Hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Six, we take you
                                         
    
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