The Power of Les Snead's Stamp of Approval

Rams Nation found themselves in a troubled situation when it was learned last week that starting left tackle Alaric Jackson would miss an undetermined amount of time after a second diagnosis of blood clots since 2022.

But one man weathered the storm with the determination and the nerves of steel of a soldier treading into a mine field or a person spending a week-long vacation with the in-laws. It was GM Les Snead who sprang into action immediately and signed a temporary replacement to his team's offensive line vacancy in the form of Kansas City Chiefs castoff, D.J. Humphries.

Not everybody has been comfortable with the signing of a player who has had his share of good and bad times in the NFL, underachieving at times. Last season, Humphries only started in two regular season games for the AFC Champs. Hence, the cause for alarm.

On the most recent episode of the SI podcast short, the Los Angeles Rams Insider Podcast, Host Claudette Montana and On SI Senior Beat Writer Hondo Carpenter addressed the situation and declared a reason for guarded optimism.

"Well, obviously there’s injuries at the Left Tackle position or medical concerns. Obviously, that’s why he got signed," Carpenter replied when asked about his opinion of the signing. "And I would say, if you were heading into a season and you’re a Super Bowl contending team and he’s your left tackle, you would be concerned. Albeit, I have one caveat, Les Snead. And if Les Snead believes in you, there are certain times when you just back up and say 'okay'.

"You know, for example, if Dan Marino is judging a wide receiver or Matthew Stafford is judging a wide receiver or whomever that may be. And they’re a Hall of Fame guy, you trust their judgment more than the pundits. Who knows his health status last year or maybe it was just a bad system, but the point is that Les Snead is the GM, and if he is comfortable with that, then I think Rams fans need to take a deep breath and relax."

"You know, there used to be an old WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelet people would wear, and I would put WWLSD on, What Would Les Snead Do? And if Snead signs him, I think you’re a buyer. I don’t feel that way with every general manager, but I do with Les Snead".

The ideal situation is to have Alaric Jackson back in his starting role, but there's a backup plan in place, which is hard to formulate in June for any NFL front office. But if Jackson returns, the Rams have a nice depth piecein Humphries to boot. But the biggest lesson here is, that Les Snead's seal of approval goes a long way and not many teams have that brand of stamper and ink at their disposal.