Sean McVay admits the Los Angeles Rams didn’t give a boost to their crew after they traded veteran receiver Van Jefferson to the Falcons.

The schoolmaster additionally says Rams fanatics shouldn’t be expecting any primary additions this season to counter the stable subtraction of the era a number of months, culminating in Jefferson’s depart for a late-round 2025 draft select switch.

McVay mentioned Wednesday that the timing of the business was once in deference to Jefferson, who’s within the ultimate 12 months of his rookie oath. The Tremendous Bowl-winning receiver was once a gentle contributor when wholesome in era seasons and a popular participant within the storehouse room, however he had additionally fallen indisposed the Rams’ intensity chart with 12 video games left within the season.

“He was nothing but a class act, nothing but a pro, but I think he probably wanted to have a bigger role,” McVay mentioned. “That’s understandable.”

Jefferson performed handiest two snaps in extreme Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, and his probabilities of turning back the Rams in 2024 seemed tiny. Los Angeles moved him to a receiver-poor crew to offer him each alternative to spice up his book for separate company.

“There was partly a consideration for the person, too,” McVay mentioned. “You do have to make decisions that are best for the team, but based on some of the things we felt were possible down the road, and looking out for him and for us, that was just what we felt like was the best decision. A huge part of it was trying to be considerate to a really special person.”

McVay stated that Jefferson’s depart erodes the Rams’ intensity at receiver in the back of Cooper Kupp, rookie Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. Despite the fact that Nacua is nursing an indirect shock and Kupp simply returned from a long absence with a hamstring shock extreme age, Los Angeles made the walk anyway.

“You just pray and you hope that our guys are able to stay healthy, and that you’ve got some depth,” McVay mentioned. “Our receiver room didn’t get better by losing Van Jefferson, that’s for certain. But we got better being able to add Cooper back into the mix, and that meant there was going to be less opportunities for (Jefferson) to stay on the field if we are able to stay healthy, and that’s always an ‘if.’ Last year taught us that.”

Moment the Rams have a long-standing popularity for dramatic staff additions, they didn’t form this walk to sunny payroll or roster room for one thing larger, McVay stated. Jefferson’s depart carves out a little quantity of room underneath the wage cap for a payroll that’s already underneath the restrict, however McVay discounted the probabilities of the Rams the usage of that room nearer to the business cut-off date.

“No, we don’t really have the availability” to form obese additions, McVay mentioned. “I mean … you kind of have to have some resources and different things like that for those to be options. I don’t know that those conversations will be as prevalent as maybe in years past.”

Jefferson’s incapability to land a 2nd oath with the Rams isn’t odd: Since McVay arrived in 2017, the one skill-position draftee to stick past his rookie oath is Kupp, the 30-year-old Tremendous Bowl MVP and one of the prolific receivers of his week. Tight finish Tyler Higbee, who arrived in 2016, is on his 3rd oath.

Matthew Stafford and Jefferson’s fellow receivers all expressed their disappointment to peer Jefferson’s now-empty storehouse after to Stafford’s stall on the Rams’ coaching advanced.

“Me and Van are very close, so it’s heartbreaking,” mentioned Atwell, who already has a career-high 24 catches for 279 yards and two touchdowns this season. “He brought me in like a little brother. It’s a tough situation, but he’s going to have a great opportunity in Atlanta.”

Stafford has identified Jefferson for the reason that receiver’s father, Shawn, was once the Lions’ receivers schoolmaster within the first 4 years of Stafford’s profession in Detroit.

“He was around a bunch of training camps,” Stafford mentioned. “Followed his career for a long time. Loved getting to work with him. I’m hoping when he goes to Atlanta, he’s on the field a bunch and he gets to play a bunch. I’m always pulling for him.”

Reporting by means of The Related Press.

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