Les Snead on Football, Risk, and Decisions

Les Snead, who has been general manager of the Los Angeles Rams for almost a decade, has discovered the need of humility when it comes to making important choices, such as selecting a head coach or draft pick and forming a cohesive team vision. Watch as he and Russ Roberts of EconTalk talk about the high demands that come with running a professional football team and what it’s like to manage one. A show for all the fans who have participated in Monday-morning quarterback games and have ever wondered how people who wager large sums of money manage to live long and prosper.

The Los Angeles Rams’ season-ending collapse following the Super Bowl could be interpreted as a sign that rebuilding is imminent. However, Rams general manager Les Snead favors the term “remodel” to describe his strategy for the roster in 2023.

Snead stated on the team website, “We would almost have to tear it down for it to be a rebuild because we do have a lot of really good players in their prime on this roster.” With that kind of roster, it’s often difficult to say “rebuild,” thus to really rebuild, you would need to undergo some sort of teardown, which is why I like the term “remodel.”after winning Super Bowl LVI, to a 5–12 record. It was the poorest season ever by a defending champion in the Super Bowl era, record-wise, due to a number of departures and injuries to important players like wide receiver Cooper Kupp, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

after winning Super Bowl LVI, to a 5–12 record. It was the poorest season ever by a defending champion in the Super Bowl era, record-wise, due to a number of departures and injuries to important players like wide receiver Cooper Kupp, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

after winning Super Bowl LVI, to a 5–12 record. It was the poorest season ever by a defending champion in the Super Bowl era, record-wise, due to a number of departures and injuries to important players like wide receiver Cooper Kupp, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.