LONDON — Rams basic supervisor Les Snead and Jacksonville Jaguars basic supervisor James Gladstone nonetheless discuss each week.
Gladstone labored for Snead for 9 years earlier than the Jaguars employed him final January. In order that they have remained in contact by means of free company, the draft and the season.
However this week, with their groups enjoying towards one another at Wembley Stadium in London, Snead thought it is perhaps finest to go old-school and never discuss till the sport was over.
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Gary Klein stories from Rams follow at Camden Yards in Baltimore because the workforce prepares for its London sport towards the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“James, he’s of the younger generation, so he’s like, ‘No you can talk during game week,’” Snead stated as he watched the Rams follow in Baltimore. “I’m more kind of … you shouldn’t shake hands before the game, right? We’re trying to beat each other.
“We joked about that. It just seems like a regular game week right now.”
As Rams coach Sean McVay and Snead navigate their ninth season collectively, they will’t keep away from seeing all through the NFL the fruits — and aggressive challenges — created by their labors and success.
Head coaches Matt LaFleur of the Inexperienced Bay Packers, Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons all served as assistants below McVay.
Detroit Lions basic supervisor Brad Holmes, who labored below Snead for a few years, constructed the Lions into an NFC energy after he was employed following the 2020 season.
On Sunday, McVay and Snead will face the most recent problem from members of their respective teaching and administration bushes.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen labored below McVay as an assistant receivers coach in 2018 and 2019 and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. After a season because the College of Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, he returned to the Rams as offensive coordinator in 2022.
The Jaguars employed Coen final January after he spent the 2024 season because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator.
The following month, the Jaguars employed Gladstone, who rapidly established an aggressive method, buying and selling as much as choose cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter with the second choose within the draft. The wheeling and dealing has continued through the season.
Coen has the Jaguars off to a 4-2 begin.
“He’s passionate,” McVay stated. “You can see that quarterback background. He’s fiery, but he also knows when to be able to stay steady. I think he picks and chooses his spots accordingly. But I think the most important thing is authenticity. That’s exactly what he’s been.”
Coen was offensive coordinator through the Rams historic Tremendous Bowl hangover. The Rams misplaced a lot of their star gamers due to accidents, together with quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald — and completed 5-12.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen watches from the sideline throughout a sport towards the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 12.
(John Raoux / Related Press)
“That was a challenging year for us,” McVay stated. “But man, there was a lot of growth that occurred in the midst of a uniquely challenging year. I think there was a lot of growth for us personally and professionally. I think he’s used that to be able to use some of those scars, if you will, to be stronger.”
Coen this week praised McVay for instilling confidence in Rams gamers, coaches and workers members from “a positive state of mind,” particularly throughout tough durations.
Gladstone, 35, continues to produce Coen with proficient gamers, and exhibits no indicators of slowing down because the commerce deadline nears.
Snead employed Gladstone in 2016 as a senior assistant and Gladstone rapidly climbed by means of the group as one thing of a personnel and scouting savant.
“You just appreciated how he thought,” Snead stated. “Historically, we’ve done that here in L.A. a little bit with someone that’s ‘OK, wait a minute, they’re bright, they have passion for football, they might not have, let’s call it, professional experience, but lets bring them in, find them a seat on the bus and see where it goes from there.”
McVay and Snead are joyful to see their former assistants succeed day-after-day — besides when they’re enjoying towards the Rams.
“It’s always cool to see people take a little bit of the foundation that we worked together to engineer here,” Snead stated, “but you can always see people … go somewhere else and they add their DNA or their independence away from how we’ve done it here and have given them a little bit more freedom to innovate in a different direction.”
