UPDATE: The Rams, The Niners, and Kyle Shanahan

More news of the Los Angeles Rams’ head coaching hiring process was revealed yesterday when the Denver-based radio host Benjamin Allbright and Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole popped in my timeline for a brief chat about Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator (and possible future San Francisco 49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan, new Rams HC Sean McVay, and Rams QB Jared Goff.

If these two are believed, then Rams fans may be put off by the latest news — that Shanahan felt jilted over McVay receiving the first interview and also had multiple reservations about Goff:

While Cole used the phrase “insulted” in his reply to one of my followers’ questions about the franchise, Allbright cleared some things up for me in text, though he initially did agree with Cole’s assessment on Twitter:

Through several text messages, Allbright illuminated what he meant about Shanahan and his part of the hiring process. When I asked if there was ego involved on either side of this issue, Allbright downplayed the ego portion while alluding to a need to be “the guy” to any organization that hired him.

“[Shanahan was] not ‘offended per se,” Allbright told me. “He just wanted to go somewhere where he felt like ‘the guy.’ The Rams didn’t want to wait on Kyle, and assembling his staff. McVay convinced them with the staff he said he could bring in.”

One of our readers, Joe Marciano, had opined that the Rams might have felt mutually about the subject since they never interviewed Shanahan, further questioning the need to hire someone that doubted the franchises’ No. 1 overall pick from just a year ago:

Cole didn’t quite shoot Marciano’s theory down, but he added that the Rams scheduled an interview with Shanahan at some point:

Of course, all of this news comes on the heels of the news that Shanahan is likely to be given control of the day-to-day operations with the 49ers as confirmed by CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora:

Of course, as with all things NFL-related, a contrary report exists. Jim Trotter of ESPN is reporting that John Lynch, the new General Manager of the Niners, will have control of personnel. His source on this is Jed York, so it will be very curious to see how this power struggle between Lynch, York, and Shanahan plays out:

The Rams just shed themselves of a regime in which most of the decision-making seemed to filter through former Rams HC Jeff Fisher rather than Rams GM Les Snead. It is possible they didn’t feel like putting themselves in a similar position, but it’s also just plain possible that McVay’s plan to put together an “elite” staff vs. Shanahan’s desire to have complete control simply appealed more.

Time will tell if either was a good hire. For Shanahan’s part, he will be working with a GM that many league sources were mystified by when hired. The fact that John Lynch was given such an uncompromising deal and he called Kyle Shanahan to nominate himself for the role of GM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, is astounding.

Niners Nation, SB Nation’s San Francisco 49ers site, offered that the senior Shanahan, Mike, helped push through the idea of Lynch being hired in accordance with the younger Shanahan’s wishes. There’s truly no way to know, but that process sure seems wonky from this end.

Then again, the Niners have made several NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl this decade, the Rams have not. So, who the hell knows.

UPDATE: NFL Reporter Jim Trotter has provided an update to the power structure situation in San Francisco.

Also included is an audio interview with Jennifer Lee Chan of Niners Nation talking to me about the report that Kyle Shanahan felt offended by the Rams interviewing McVay first. Additionally, she breaks down the perspective of the Rams’ hirings from the Niners perspective.