The Rams have been the NFL's trendsetters over the past couple years. Whether it is the way they play, their approach to team building or how they handle the offseason, coach Sean McVay's squad has certainly bucked more than one trend.
Last year, the team essentially blew off the preseason by not playing their starters. This year, the team has set up joint practices with both the Chargers and the Raiders, an indication the team's starters may once again be in line for a light preseason workload according to a report from The Athletic.
McVay tremendously values the work his team gets during those joint practice settings, particularly the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods. I imagine there will be plenty of those against the Raiders and Chargers. And frankly, after witnessing it firsthand when the Rams practiced against the Baltimore Ravens for two days ahead of their preseason game last August, I now understand completely.
Sure, these are controlled environments, far from the chaos of a live game, but that's also the beauty of it all — a setting that a coach can control completely, where he can dictate situations against another team.
It doesn’t completely mimic a game situation, but then, the preseason doesn’t either, given how guarded coaches are about giving up information about their playbooks in a meaningless contest.
McVay looked like a genius last year when he opted to sit his starters during exhibition games, but is it a good idea to do the same again?
Time will tell, but all signs so far point to the same decision.
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