Adios, Les Snead

The Rams have hired Les Snead. This makes The Falcoholic sad.

Not every draft and signing Les Snead presided over turned out to be a winner, but he was a smart, competent personnel man who Thomas Dimitroff leaned on heavily during his time in Atlanta. The Rams managed to land a talented front office manager who won't impinge on Jeff Fisher's territory, which is a balancing act in and of itself.

Because let's face it, Snead kept a low profile in Atlanta. Many times Dimitroff described him as an integral part of the organization, but we're fans. We see those players, coaches and management types who speak directly to us and the media or do spectacular things, and for the front office, that was TD. Snead's considerable role

Snead had a big hand in drafts while in Atlanta, something he'll be counted on as the typically terrible Rams try to jump out of the gutter into brighter days. With smart draft picks and better coaching, they're a team that can probably get there, and Snead has gotten past his share of challenges during his days in Atlanta. For a team with a history of debilitating drafts, he's a smart hire.

The Falcons will probably bounce back just fine, but it's a key piece of the front office missing. How you feel about that probably depends on how you feel about the job the front office has done in recent years, but ultimately the Falcons must replace a hard-working dude who spent 13 years in the FO making things happen. That's not easy to do.

Either way, I do wish Snead luck. He put in a lot of time with the organization and did considerable good, so deserves your respect.

What say you?