The team plans to fill the positions of Ray Agnew and Brad Holmes “immediately”
The Rams have two main front office positions to fill during the transition to off-season squad assessment and draft preparation, with college scout director Brad Holmes being hired by Lions as their new general manager, and the director of professional scouts Ray Agnew reportedly joining him as an assistant general manager.
According to Snead, they will try to fill vacant positions “immediately” and through internal candidates, but Agnew and Holmes’ successors have yet to be named.
“We already have a good subset of lieutenants in our building,” said Snead during Tuesday’s videoconference.
Snead said he also spoke with Scouting consultant Ray Farmer about moving to a full-time position, but “not necessarily in Brad’s work.” Prior to joining Rams in 2020 as a consultant, Farmer was Browns’ general manager from 2014 to 15, assistant general manager in 2013, Chiefs professional personnel director from 2006 to 2012 and scout of the 2002-05 Falcons.
“Too early to speculate” about Jared Goff’s future
At his end of season press conference on January 17, Rams coach Sean McVay said “all things are under review”, including the position of defender. During the same media session, McVay was also directly asked if there was a scenario in which starting quarterback Jared Goff was not on the squad next season, and McVay said he “cannot answer any of these questions until, as I said, I take a step back and evaluate everything that is of interest to the Rams. “
A similar question was asked of Snead, who echoed comments similar to McVay’s.
“What I can say is that Jared Goff is a Ram right now,” said Snead. “It is too early to speculate on the future.”
Snead said leaving Goff would be difficult because of the financial commitment to him, but later said that “anything can be done” in a boundary-based system. Snead acknowledged Goff’s success in partnership with McVay with 42 wins since 2017, a number tied with Russell Wilson and behind only Tom Brady (47), as well as Goff’s resistance to coming back and performing well in the playoffs not far from thumb surgery. However, like McVay, Snead also pointed out the churn problems that need to be fixed.
Discussions on the new hiring of priority free defensive agents will resume in mid-February
Snead said he and McVay have already had preliminary discussions about the pending free defensive agents they would like to sign again, and will resume those talks “starting in mid-February”.
Key players such as security and defensive caller John Johnson III, cornerback Darious Williams, linebacker Leonard Floyd, cornerback Troy Hill and striker Morgan Fox are scheduled to become free agents when the new league year begins. Snead said the reduction in the anticipated salary cap will be one of the variables in his formula for whom they can and cannot bring back.
“Our goal this year is to sit down in February and probably, in about four weeks, actually calculate that formula,” said Snead.