Sean McVay acknowledged that drafting Ty Simpson was not an easy decision, but that as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams it’s important to balance moves that will be better both for the short-term and the long-term. In an interview with the podcast Bussin’ with the Boys on Tuesday, McVay told hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan that he had a conversation with Matthew Stafford before drafting Simpson that “wasn’t exactly agreed upon” but that the reigning MVP understood where the franchise was coming from in terms of his timeline and needing a backup plan in case he retires next year.
Based on how McVay tells the story of drafting the Alabama quarterback and the fallout after the fact by fans and media members skeptical of making a long-term move while Stafford is in a Super Bowl window right now, the Rams became comfortable with Simpson’s lack of experience based on the film and some of the maturity he showed as a leader by waiting for his turn instead of transferring and accepting responsibility for mistakes instead of blaming others.
“I like that it wasn’t easy. I like that he had to wait at Alabama,” said McVay. “And the easy thing, especially nowadays, would’ve been able to run away (in the transfer portal). I like that they lose to Florida State and the sky is falling and they find a way to kinda have some resolve and they get into the SEC Championship and there’s a lot of good things in the midst of it. I like the way that he responded when guys would drop balls and he didn’t flinch. Or guys would give up a free runner and he didn’t say a word except, “Where can I be better?” Those were the things that the tape communicated to me.“
The Rams head coach also got into the “special” relationship he has with Stafford, how close the Rams were to putting him on injured reserve with a back injury last year (“We were nervous as hell”), and gave a hint that the quarterback does not agree with the team’s decision to draft a quarterback. But that it’s not going to stop him from trying to win a new Super Bowl for L.A., and in L.A., next season.
Here’s more of what McVay had to say about Simpson and Stafford:
“We have to plan for the short and the long term and what does that look like? Let’s go it right now but let’s also be able to sustain over a long period of time. We’ve got the reigning MVP of the league. (Stafford) is like a fine wine, he’s getting better with age. My relationship with him is special. There’s a connection. I think our personalities really balance each other out. It’s a really cool thing that we have and I don’t take that for granted. But he’s earned the right to walk away whenever he wants to. Going into year 18, we have to be mindful that we’re so lucky to have him be doing his thing. But if he said at the end of next year that it’s it for him, he’s earned the right to do that.”
It’s interesting to think about how close the 49ers were trading for Stafford instead of the Rams in 2021, and how different the last five years would have gone if that happened. McVay’s ability to connect with Stafford as someone slightly younger than Kyle Shanahan (Stafford is 38, McVay is 40, and Shanahan is 46) could help the two have a smoother relationship than most HC-QB combos.
On Simpson, McVay explained why the small sample size wasn’t too big of a concern.
“If there’s an opportunity to get someone at 13 to upgrade his team. We addressed some needs in free agency … You got a lot of continuity from last year but you’re saying ‘Okay, there’s some really good players at 13, but you also say that there’s a guy that based on the film, you project this guy to potentially be a starting caliber quarterback. You like the body of work because of the way that (Simpson) played the position.
Is it a short sample size? Yeah, it is. But it’s easier to evaluate that short sample size because it’s easier to evaluate because you’re evaluating all parts of, in the drop-back pass game, the 3-step, the 5-step, the 7-step; the way the field is distributed; the types of coverage contours he’s seeing in the SEC are similar to what he would see in the NFL; reading with his feet with a timing and rhythm; he’s re-directing protections; he’s under center and throwing play action under 7-step, 1-hitch, or 8-step, 1-hitch timing; anticipating second-level in-cuts with frontpad throws; making a little bit of plays off-schedule.“
But McVay said it was not an easy decision and specifically called out three draft prospects who many feel the Rams should have drafted instead, saying that they “appreciate” those guys but clearly they didn’t blow L.A.‘s front office away.
“But with that being said, was it an easy decision? No. Because how are we always balancing? If you told me that we could ensure that if we took a player at 13, like if we took Makai Lemon, Kenyon Sadiq, players that we had a lot of appreciation for, Rueben Bain’s still on the board at the time, if drafting them would’ve ensured that we’re going to show at SoFi Stadium next year (for the Super Bowl), I’d say sign me up. We’re taking that guy.
It doesn’t work that way. I’m hopeful Matthew plays as long as he can. I don’t take for granted how lucky I am.“
Although Matthew Stafford might support McVay and Les Snead, it does not sound like he was necessarily encouraging the Rams to draft a quarterback instead of someone who could help the team right now.
“He handled it exactly like you want somebody to handle it. But he also understands. He’s been in this thing and even if it doesn’t have to be exactly agreed upon, he’s like “I get it.” Because this guy can think from an empathetic perspective He understands the positions that I’m put in as a leader to make those calls. Do I know if it’s going to be right? We’ll see down the line. I’m grateful having #9.“
One of the reasons that the Rams might have felt the pressure to draft a quarterback in preparation for next year was how worried McVay was that Stafford would miss at least part of last season. As McVay tells it, other teams were telling Stafford he was lucky to get so much off-time last year, but that it wasn’t a vacation. Noting that he all but told Stafford he was going on IR, until “the chamber” and other unique methods got him back on the right track for Week 1.
“We were nervous as hell about Matthew Stafford’s back injury. That was real. People don’t realize how close…he and I sat down, this isn’t responding how we had hoped, let’s put you on temporary IR, where we feel this anxiety of having to have a timeline of being ready to go. Jimmy Garoppolo had taken all the reps (in practice). This alien decides, he did some different things that only he could articulate in terms of unique treatments and outside-the-box thinking where he’s going to a torture chamber for 48 hours. But you could also see that there’s mindset there that is only in the greats, where he was like ”F—- it, I’m going to swing“ and he did it and he never looked back.”
The Rams reportedly plan to take a very similar approach with Stafford this offseason, giving him as many rest days as possible so he’s fit for Week 1. That’s another reason to draft a quarterback, especially with Garoppolo looking at retirement.
You just never know when a player might choose to walk away. Today it could be Garoppolo, tomorrow it could be Stafford, and that’s why last month the Rams drafted Simpson.