The Los Angeles Rams have been hands down the biggest surprise team of the 2017 NFL season. After a historically-bad debut year in Los Angeles, the Rams have somehow transformed into a perennial playoff contender.
There are plenty of reasons that can be attributed to their success this year. However, no one would have ever figured to thank the former Rams’ coaching staff. During an interview with Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean, former assistant head coach Dave McGinnis said he and former head coach Jeff Fisher essentially built this current roster:
“First of all, Jeff Fisher and I, we built this roster, you know what I’m saying?” McGinnis said. “So I know these guys very, very well. This defense and special teams of the Rams has been playoff-ready for two years, ability-wise and performance-wise. The last two years, the offense has been historically bad. The offensive line was not good, was underperforming, could not get any stability at quarterback. The receivers, that was the issue.”
McGinnis was essentially Fisher’s right-hand man during the Rams’ recent tumultuous years. As many are aware, they were unable to win more than seven games during their tenure with the organization.
Although they do deserve some credit for drafting superstars like defensive tackle Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley, the negatives far outweigh any positive influence they had on the Rams’ current personnel. Needless to say, Los Angeles underwent a major overhaul with both the coaching staff and the roster which has resulted in a complete turnaround for this franchise.
