Getty Image / Ric Tapia
The Los Angeles Rams coaching staff is undergoing some major changes this offseason.
The teams saw a few of its coaches leave for other jobs amid uncertainty about Sean McVay’s future as the team’s head coach.
The Rams also let some coaches go after a disappointing 2022 season that saw them go 5-12 at the NFL’s defending champions.
One of the positions that was left vacant after the season was their offensive coordinator position.
During the 2022 season, Liam Coen was the team’s OC, but after just one season with the team, he decided to head back to Kentucky to reclaim his job as their offensive coordinator.
Now the Rams have reportedly found his replacement. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Rams are hiring former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
The #Rams are hiring former #Jets OC Mike LaFleur as their new coordinator, sources say. The favorite all along, another LaFleur joins coach Sean McVay. pic.twitter.com/yXgmOVkC8U
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2023
LaFleur spent the last two seasons unsuccessfully attempting to revamp the New York Jets offense. With him in charge, the Jets offense was among the worst in the league each of the last two years.
However, there is reason to believe that wasn’t entirely his fault. Zach Wilson was his starting quarterback for much of those two seasons and Wilson has looked like a major bust after the Jets spent the 2nd overall pick on him in the 2021 draft.
Despite the struggles from the team’s starting quarterback, there were some bright spots to the Jets offense. The running game was strong this past season before Breece Hall’s injury.
LaFleur also managed to get some good games out of his backup quarterbacks over the last two years.
Joe Flacco threw for over 300 yards in each of the team’s first two games this year and threw 4 touchdown passes in the Week 2 comeback win over the Browns.
Last year, Mike White threw for 405 and 3 TDs in a shocking win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the first start of his career. In his first start of this season, he threw for 315 and 3 TDs.
With the Rams, he’ll be in a much better situation. He’ll have Matthew Stafford at quarterback with plenty of targets to pick from and the resurgent Cam Akers at running back.
His 2 season with the Jets might not have gone as planned, but there are reasons to believe that the Los Angeles Rams made a good decision by quickly scooping him up after he was fired.