St. Louis Rams: Les Snead Reportedly Accepts Rams Offer to Become GM

According to ESPN and the following tweet from D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Les Snead has decided to become the Rams new general manager:

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  @AJCFalconsD. Orlando LedbetterUPDATE: #Falcons former director of player personnel Les Snead accepts St. Louis GM positionshar.es/fUEuP

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The St. Louis Rams are initiating contract talks with Snead, according to the proceeding tweet from Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

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@jthom1 Rams entering contract talks w/atlantas les snead to make him teams new gm.

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According to this report, George Paton of the Minnesota Vikings decided to stay in Minnesota late Friday night and has been promoted to assistant general manager.  Paton is receiving a hefty pay raise to accompany his new title to stick with the Vikings in Minneapolis. 

As for Snead, he will apparently be the second-straight Rams general manager to come directly from the Atlanta Falcons front office following Billy Devaney, who was dismissed as St. Louis' GM on January 2.  

Snead, 37, has spent the past three years as Atlanta's Director of Player Personnel and a total of 13 years with the organization. 

Snead was candidate for the San Francisco 49ers general manager position last year.  Before arriving in Atlanta, Snead worked a three-year stint (1995-97) in the Jacksonville Jaguars scouting department.  

Snead has been vital in the analysis and evaluation of the Falcons roster and has produced salary value analysis regarding acquired players.  Snead has also contributed to Atlanta's free agency process.  

Snead will work closely with new Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and St. Louis Vice President of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff. 

Some have speculated that several of the nine individuals the Rams have interviewed for the position have shied away from the job opening due to the perception (accurate or not) that the general manager here will largely be that in title only.  If speculation like that linked above is true, Fisher would be the de facto GM having final say in football decisions. 

True or not, it looks as if Snead will be the St. Louis Rams' new general manager. 

Snead's keys to success here will include working cohesively with Fisher, accurately evaluating the roster, making wise selections in the draft and landing solid free agents more consistently than the aforementioned former GM, Devaney.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.