The Los Angeles Rams are enduring some quick changes both for their roster and among the coaching staff entering their Week 9 showdown in Tampa Bay.
But regarding the latter, especially with Cam Akers making his return to the backfield, head coach Sean McVay informed the L.A. media on Friday, November 4 that one member of the staff will be receiving an increased additional role — signifying the change there.
Assistant’s Role to Broaden
McVay announced that Thomas Brown will be collaborating with RB coach Ra’Shaad Samples moving forward.
“Ra’Shaad is still going to be coaching the running backs. Thomas Brown, as the assistant head coach you ask him to be able to do a handful of roles. There will be times when he’s working with the running backs and tight ends, really our offense as a whole,” McVay explained.
Before the arrival of Samples from Southern Methodist University (SMU), Brown was handling the running backs including Akers.
“Thomas has always kind of had a role where, as an assistant head coach — coaching those tight ends and obviously he’s coached the backs before, he’s got kind of an ability to move around,” McVay said. “Ra’Shaad will still be doing that as well. The more you can take advantage of great coaches that we have in this building and also maximizing some of the history that Thomas has with that group in particular, there might be some moments where it’s good for him to be able to inject.”
Brown has additionally been viewed as mentor to the former college coach Samples.
“His wisdom, and (his) ability to continue to mentor Ra’Shaad and a lot of our coaches — he and I bounce things off of one another; but that’s kind of the approach that we’re going to take,” McVay said.
Coaching Move Perceived to Assist Akers
While this would be deemed as a slight change by some, the move is arguably a crucial and integral one for the Rams — as they aim to get Akers back into the fold and have him working again with a man he’s had a past rapport with.
Akers, after missing nearly a month of practice and game action by sitting out due to personal reasons and missed the Panthers and 49ers games in the process, made his return to the Rams on Thursday, November 3 at their Thousand Oaks practice site. Akers became the subject of trade rumblings and a possible release from the team. But he broke his silence about the rumblings inside the locker room following Thursday’s practice.
“Y’all wanna know. I wanna know the same thing. I don’t know what happened,” he told reporters Thursday. “I was prepared because I had to be. I don’t know where it came from or how it happened, but it don’t matter at this point. I’m here, I’m in-house, I’m back with the team so I’m happy.”
Akers also added how he never stated that he didn’t want to leave the Rams plus never asked to avoid playing.
“I told him [McVay] I would love to be with the team, with these guys, with the coaches,” Akers replied. “Told him I wanted to make sure it was the right situation for me. That’s pretty much how it went. It was obviously a productive conversation. I’m here, just want to move forward, that’s it.”
McVay added how there’s a “slight possibility” Akers will travel to Florida as the Rams face the Buccaneers on Sunday, November 6.
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Rams’ Sean McVay Announces Key Coaching Change Ahead of Week 9