Where does Rams GM Les Snead need to improve?

Over the past decade, the Los Angeles Rams have benefitted from having one of the stronger front offices in the NFL. This was a front office that went for it in 2021 and it resulted in a Super Bowl title. After a lot of analysts predicting that the Rams would fall off after trading away high draft picks, they have recovered and remained competitors.

After ranking eighth among front offices per The Athletic in 2024, the Rams came in at number three in 2025. Several executives around the league praised general manager Les Snead and the job that he’s done over the last few years.

“They’re the model of outside-the-box thinking,” an executive said. One executive pointed toward the Rams’ evolving offensive philosophy, as McVay switched his run philosophy from 2022 to 2023 to better fit the new pieces on the offensive line…“They stay ahead of where defenses are trending. They’re really good at being ahead of other teams. It’s a great example of a coach and GM being on the same page.” Another executive credited Snead for fully supporting McVay’s vision. “(Snead) has no ego and just loves evaluating players. They have drafted well. They had the (‘f— them picks’ mantra) for a while to get top talent and now have changed up and are drafting and infusing their team with a ton of good young talent. Sean has a hell of a culture there, and he knows what he wants.”

The only front offices to rank ahead of the Rams were the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, which seems fair. Over the past three years, Snead has done a great job navigating post-‘F Them Picks’ and Aaron Donald. Despite losing Donald, the Rams remain one of the better pass rushes in the NFL, drafting players such as Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Byron Young, and Jared Verse. That doesn’t include late-round hits like Puka Nacua that have offset other mistakes.

That’s not to say that Snead is perfect. The Rams messed up in free agency in 2024, signing Jonah Jackson to a big contract. However, one of the more admirable things about Snead is his willingness to admit a mistake and move off of it. The Rams were able to trade away Jackson in the offseason, recognizing that it simply wasn’t working. At the same time, the Rams have sometimes held on too long to players such as Joe Noteboom and Tutu Atwell.

Snead has also gotten some criticism for not getting good value back on trades. The Rams traded Ernest Jones away in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick. A few months later, the Titans were able to trade Jones for a fourth-round selection. The Rams were forced to cut Cooper Kupp this past offseason instead of getting some value in return. However, the Rams were able to move on from Jones because they found an undrafted free agent in Omar Speights.

While Snead may have some imperfections, the Rams could do much worse. It says a...