Rams head coach Sean McVay held a video conference with local media on Friday – five days out from the start of free agency and the 2023 NFL league year – discussing his decision to return, the team's approaching building its roster, and more.
Here are some of the top takeaways from that virtual conversation, which you can watch in its entirety below:
Decision to return a long-term commitment
Addressing his decision to return, McVay indicated that it was one for the long-term.
"You want to make sure that you're making a decision that's in alignment for years to come, not an every-year type of deal. Because that's really important," McVay said. "There's a lot of people that you feel a great deal of responsibility to, to do right by them and to do a great job within the framework of your responsibilities. And I'm really committed to not having this become a story every year because I know that's probably something that people are asking or wondering. And I don't take that lightly."
Controlling that not becoming a story year ultimately comes down to his actions, McVay said.
"And then if I'm asked about it, being truthful, and my plan is that is something that I'm committed to for the long term," McVay said.
Addressing Jalen Ramsey, Allen Robinson and Leonard Floyd's futures and potential interest in Odell Beckham Jr. and Robert Woods
Amid external speculation about cornerback Jalen Ramsey, wide receiver Allen Robinson II and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd's futures with the Rams, McVay was asked if he anticipates those three players being on Los Angeles' roster next week.
"Those are all fluid situations," McVay said. "I think we've had dialogue with those guys about what the possibilities are. You want to keep some of those conversations in-house, but you also don't want people getting caught-off guard. There's a lot of information that's out there, and there's always a lot of discussions that take place behind the scenes."
Meanwhile, former Rams wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Robert Woods are currently free agents, and McVay said they will "absolutely" monitor both of their situations.
"When you talk about two great players like that, to say that there's not interest, that would certainly be silly," McVay said. "Those are situations that we'll absolutely monitor. There's a lot of layers to it, relative to, OK, what are the ways you can set up adding them? And how does that fit within the puzzle that you really have to put together with some different pieces, and probably more moving pieces since I've been here, since we first got here in 2017."
Injury updates on offensive linemen
No position group was hit harder by injuries than the Rams' offensive line, which started 11 different combinations across their first 11 games. McVay provided updates on three of those players in Alaric Jackson, Brian Allen and Joe Noteboom.
Jackson, who was dealing with blood clots and had to be placed on blood thinner medication and shut down for the rest of the season in mid-November, is "doing well," according to McVay, and it's McVay's understanding that Jackson will be cleared to return.
"He's feeling good. He looks good," McVay said. "Excited to be able to get him back out on the field."
Allen is also "feeling good" after dealing with "a lot of different little injuries here and there," McVay said. A knee injury, calf strain and thumb injury limited Allen to seven games last season.
As for Noteboom, he is likely someone they will continue to monitor throughout the offseason. Noteboom ruptured his Achilles in Week 6 against the Panthers and consequently sidelined for the rest of the season.
