Les Snead has become somewhat of a trend-setter in the NFL over the last few years. His aggressive pursuit of a championship came to fruition after many blockbuster trades, including one that sent Jared Goff and multiple draft picks to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.
Snead has also made deals for Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Brandin Cooks, Dante Fowler Jr., Aqib Talib, Sammy Watkins and Marcus Peters since 2017. That all-in mentality rubbed off on other teams and general managers this offseason with Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and Khalil Mack, among many others, all getting traded.
Undeniably, Snead has been one of the best general managers in the NFL for the last five years, completely turning around a struggling franchise with the help of Sean McVay. And for all the work he’s done constructing the Rams’ roster, he’s getting plenty of recognition.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com ranked every general manager in the NFL and at No. 2 was Snead, behind only the tandem of Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott in Buffalo.
If I’m approaching this exercise like a Power Ranking, I’m giving extra credit to anyone who wins a Super Bowl by acting differently. You also get extra credit for wearing a T-shirt with your own adopted catchphrase about team-building and having LeBron James take notice. You also get additional love for being the one who drafted the greatest defensive player since Lawrence Taylor … even if Snead drafted Greg Robinson 11 spots ahead of Aaron Donald in the same draft.
Sean McVay’s ability to develop Snead’s mid/late-round gems into contributors is crucial, but there’s no question that the Rams’ approach to trade away all of their first-round picks since 2016 has worked. Since 2017, when McVay arrived, Los Angeles is second in total wins (including the playoffs), only behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Through trades and savvy cap management, the Rams are in a perpetual win-now mode that shows no signs of slowing down.
Snead’s “F them picks” mentality has worked beautifully, earning the Rams a world championship this past season despite not having a first-round pick in the last five years – and being without one this year and next, too. Other teams have become more willing to part with draft picks, as we saw with the Wilson, Adams, Hill and Mack trades.
Turning blockbuster trades into rings is easier said than done, and there’s no guarantee those deals made by the Broncos, Raiders, Dolphins and Chargers will result in an improved record or deep playoff run. But Snead and the Rams are at least showing there’s a different way to build a championship-caliber roster besides just drafting and developing.
That’s not to say the Rams don’t do that – see: Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Tyler Higbee, Rob Havenstein – but their big acquisitions (like Stafford) have made equally large impacts.
