Sean McVay has built a fairly balanced roster during his time as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, featuring a mix of veterans and younger players. Part of that is drafting correctly, but the other element is setting the team up to succeed off of the field.
One of those ways is in the team’s locker room. It’s a post-play safe haven for players to relax but also learn from their teammates.
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The Rams’ locker room is curated by the team’s senior director of equipment, Brendan Burger, who typically interlaces veterans and rookies as well as offensive and defensive players to keep a fully integrated environment. This area is called “the suburbs” by Rams players. This idea has helped foster the team chemistry the Rams have been known for since McVay joined the team.
“So much of the days are broken up where it’s offense-defense separate,” McVay told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, “and to just be able to create that natural interaction and appreciation for each other — not exclusive to just one side of the ball — that’s kind of what goes into it,” McVay said.
Receiver Puka Nacua and defensive end Braden Fiske provided perfect examples of this mentality.
During his rookie season, Nacua’s locker was next to veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein as well as veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. He’d grab towels for Havenstein the same day he’d break down one-on-one practice matchups with Witherspoon.
“It’s always fun post-practice to come and be like, ‘Alright, what were you thinking right here when I lined up against you and I doubled up at the line of scrimmage and then you jab this way?'” Nacua said. “So having a [defensive back] next to you is something that you don’t really imagine in the locker room, but it’s also really fun because you have some great conversations.”
As for Fiske, he sandwiched between two offensive players in 2024: receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee.
“Cooper was a big one last year that I would talk to,” Fiske said. “How did he make that jump in Year 2 of his career? What was something that elevated his game? And a lot of that was the diet. That’s a lot of what I implemented into my offseason. I was super fortunate to have those guys in my area of the locker room.”
Both Nacua and Fiske were given invaluable learning opportunities away from the field — and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see both have flourished since coming into the league.
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Locker rooms are such a big part of a player’s NFL experience, and one that is rarely noticeable for those not in the league. But for the teams that figure out how to configure theirs, it’s invaluable.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams HC Sean McVay’s locker room assignments help foster cohesiveness