Sean McVay Talks Rueben Bain
May 19th, 2026
Rams head coach Sean McVay.
Some fans remain mystified how Miami Mauler edge rusher landed in the Bucs’ lap at No. 15 overall in the NFL Draft four weeks ago.
One reason is because Rams head coach Sean McVay and the Rams’ front office didn’t think Bain could get them into the Super Bowl this season, per McVay’s comments on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast today.
That was no knock on Bain. McVay said the Rams had “appreciation for” receiver Makai Lemon, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Bain when they were on the clock at No. 13. All three were available. Instead, the Rams shocked the draft and picked quarterback Ty Simpson.
After Bain was scooped up by Tampa Bay, Sadiq went at No. 16 to the Jets and Lemon found a home with the Eagles at No. 20.
Neither Bain, Lemon nor Sadiq were instant Super Bowl cogs, per McVay, so he said that’s why the Rams opted to take a QB they believe can take over for Matthew Stafford whenever that day comes.
Joe wonders if McVay would have been singing a different tune on Bain if the Rams didn’t have two Pro Bowl edge rushers last season, Jared Verse and Byron Young.
May 19th, 2026 at 8:47 pm
I’m glad the Bucs got Bain, but Mcvay will take him out of the game later on this year.
May 19th, 2026 at 8:56 pm
We’ll see if he can take.them all out at the same time soon enough.. This year IS different in QB seeking monsters on this team. We’ll see..
May 19th, 2026 at 9:00 pm
Agree if the Rams did not have a good d line they would have taken Bain. Facts are they just had other needs.
May 19th, 2026 at 9:07 pm
Well they did not need a QB in the first round?
May 19th, 2026 at 9:28 pm
McVay will once again put the Pom Pom waivers into shocking silence after he dismantles the Bowles Swiss cheeses pass defense again in 2026!!!
May 19th, 2026 at 9:29 pm
McVay didn’t think Bain could get them to a Super Bowl this season….
But Ty Simpson can. WTF is he talking about?!
(Or how bad was the disconnect with Les on Draft night)
That don’t make any sense
May 19th, 2026 at 9:32 pm
It is nice to see another team waste a pick on a QB who is not likely to do anything for them this year, and who likely does nothing to hurt the Bucs chances against them.
This year, if Trotter is any good at all in coverage, McVay will not again benefit from Stafford completing 22 of 28 “short passes”, ten of which gained double digit yardage including a 31 yarder.
McVay probably would have been better served to take a higher rated OT or a coverage ILB in the first round.
Given the Rams OLB room, if the Bucs are anywhere near 100% on offense when they play the Rams, it should be short passes to Godwin, Sharp and Gainwell shredding the Rams coverage ILBs this year, and creating running and passing opportunities for everyone else in the process. But, play design, play calling, and check downs are going to be key. It needs to be snap it and zap it, or else play action and RPOs with lots of motion and misdirection. Without setting the table with the short game, Baker is going to be beaten up again if he just drops straight back and waits for someone to come open deep downfield.
May 19th, 2026 at 9:38 pm
I think Bain has a bigger chip on his shoulder than Baker did. He’s going to turn into a terror.
May 19th, 2026 at 9:46 pm
This would be hilarious if Bain ends up turning into a superstar & everyone ended up passing on him.
May 19th, 2026 at 9:56 pm
“This year, if Trotter is any good at all in coverage”
I thought the knock on him was he’s not good in coverage.
May 19th, 2026 at 10:01 pm
So Bain wouldn’t get them to the Super Bowl??? I suppose Simpson will?
May 19th, 2026 at 10:06 pm
Trotter got better and better at coverage as the season progressed last year.
He’ll be fine and Anzalone is already solid. RBs and TEs will not have a field day on us this season. Added pressure on opposing QBs is a must as well
May 19th, 2026 at 10:12 pm
McCoy was mad, and I don’t blame him. Wasted pick.
And can someone please tell me where Bain was supposed to be picked at? Everybody keeps saying he fell in the draft as if he went from the expectation of being number 1 to dropping to the third round.
May 19th, 2026 at 10:46 pm
The Rams spent their first round pick because found a development QB that they were looking for in Simpson. It was obviously a priority to them — pretty much letting the rest of the league know that Stafford is intending to hang up his cleats at the end of the ’26 season?
May 20th, 2026 at 4:24 am
Just a weird thing to say. How is a developmental q.b. Who the team hopes doesnt play a snap gettimg them.closer to a superb bowl this season. Arguably any player would jave been a better pick if that’s the logic. Even if bain plays 10 snaps a game that’s more than what Simpson will see all season.
May 20th, 2026 at 4:42 am
Most mocks had Bain going between 7 (Washington) to 12 Dallas. You could run 100 mocks and he might go outside that range on 1 or 2. The deviation was usually falling between 4-6. I can’t even recall one that had him falling all the way to 15.
May 20th, 2026 at 5:48 am
So picking a backup QB gets you there? Even if Stafford calls it quits after this season, next year’s QB crop looks like it will be FAR superior to this year’s.
May 20th, 2026 at 6:08 am
The fact is, the Rams rarely have a #1 pick. They have traded them away the last ten years for established veterans.
The odds of landing a franchise QB in the later rounds is not good, so using that pick this year may very well have been the smartest thing they could have done, especially considering the fact that most prognosticators have them doing very well this season, which would put next year’s #1 pick well down the list – certainly lower than you usually find a great starting QB.
Stafford ain’t getting any younger. With the team’s current makeup, it could be years before they have a chance at getting the #2 QB in the draft again.
May 20th, 2026 at 6:46 am
My B.S. detector just exploded!
May 20th, 2026 at 7:09 am
Stafford won’t play after this season due to recurring back injury. Rams made the right decision as they won’t have a high first round pick anytime soon. This is exactly what we need to do in the draft next year even if we have to trade up. Most likely we go 9-8 or 8-9 and picking in the middle of the pack. We need Zac
To develop a young franchise qb to take over after Baker’s next contract expires in 2-3 years.
May 20th, 2026 at 8:01 am
Outside of our draft picks hitting big, my next wish for the ‘26 class is that the lambs wasted a pick on Simpson.
I don’t think he’ll be a horrible qb, but one that’s not worth throwing away a draft pick for. That would be great and would set them back for years.
As for not putting them in the superbowl…maybe he’s right. They have a stout line already. I would expect Sean’s team to dunk all over Todd’s once again this fall. Maybe if we get a good HC next year Mr Bain can put Simpson or stafford in the ground multiple times in ‘27.
May 20th, 2026 at 8:45 am
The more tape I watch, the less enamored I become with Baine.
He splashed during the playoffs. That’s something.
He didn’t do a whole lot during the regular season playing a soft ACC schedule.
I think people just like his name. I don’t have high expectations.
May 20th, 2026 at 8:45 am
RAMS got cute and outsmarted themselves lol….
Mcvay is full of it!!!!…you can never have too many pass rushers…i think mcvay was pissed that Les wanted to pick a QB and now he’s trying to spin it…
our win, their F up lol
GO BUCS!!!!
May 20th, 2026 at 9:00 am
Buc1987 Says:
May 19th, 2026 at 9:56 pm
“This year, if Trotter is any good at all in coverage”
I thought the knock on him was he’s not good in coverage.
———————-
That’s literally exactly what that means. IF is a tiny word but very important.
May 20th, 2026 at 9:41 am
Rams blew it.
That pick was like picking Trask when we had Brady and trying to go back to back.
Are you trying to win a SB in 3 years with Ty? Or are you trying to win one right now while you are a favorite ?
Frankly, because of Staffords back, I would have taken Ioane if I was the Rams. Or Bain or Lemon.
One of those guys is gonna have more impact THIS SEASON than a backup QB.
Unless Stafford goes down and Simpson leads them to a SB, this was foolish imo.
May 20th, 2026 at 9:51 am
Would be poetic justice if Bain sacks Stafford for a game winning sack in Week 17 lol
May 20th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
He looked real happy passing on those three on draft day, lol.
May 20th, 2026 at 5:34 pm
Ty Simpson is going to be a journeyman QB. That was just misaligned goals by the HC and GM on that specific pick. There’s no way any sane HC is drafting a backup QB with the #13 to replace Stafford ‘one day’. Go get an arm in the 2nd or 3rd, but you clearly have some depth needs at WR due to injuries and age with the guys you have. That’s just a shallow observation of their needs as IGAF about the Rams. But, Sean McVay is not drafting an average QB when there are other needs. If Stafford is retiring soon, you have to make that push to get someone who can contribute NOW otherwise what are you playing for this season? You didn’t want a first round starter?