“I also think Sean and his staff deserve a ton of credit as well, in terms of creating, designing, implementing, building, developing, executing an environment where we’re capable of winning and guys like Clay, [safety] Eric Weddle, and [left tackle Andrew Whitworth] ‘Big Whit’ wanting to stay.”

Of the Rams’ three pickups off the free agency wire, each expressed high interest in joining the defending NFC Champs. For quarterback Blake Bortles, the interest was so high that he almost joined the Rams without a visit.

“[I] kept coming around to L.A. and the being with the Rams as the best place, organization, and spot for me to be for the upcoming year,” Bortles explained. “A big part of that is coach McVay and what he’s done the past couple of years there and getting the opportunity to be around him.”

McVay was also on the frontlines of Weddle’s pre-free agency decision to join the decorated secondary in his home state. For Weddle, a bumped-up visit turned into hours of conversation with McVay, already dreaming up ways to win in 2019.