Rams News: Tight End Room's 2024 Upside Mired in Mystery

Major questions surround L.A.'s depth at the position.

Dec 21, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) celebrates his touchdown scored against the New Orleans Saints with tight end Tyler Higbee (89) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams may have recently fortified their running back position, while expecting their wide receiver room to potentially boast a pair of Pro Bowlers should Cooper Kupp stay healthy. Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford looked totally revitalized in 2023, even at age 36.

But there is one major offensive position that feels like a huge question mark for L.A. Brandon Howard of CBS Sports writes that the team's primary two tight ends are both talented, but have a lot to prove in 2024.

When it comes to Tyler Higbee, Howard notes that the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Western Kentucky product is still recovering from major lower leg injuries incurred during the team's Wild Card Round loss to the Detroit Lions, and his recovery timeline is fairly murky.

"Higbee's 2024 season is very much up in the air after the veteran suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the Rams' playoff loss at Detroit in January," Howard writes. "Coach Sean McVay expects Higbee to begin the year on the physically unable to perform list, and it's unknown when or if he'll come off the list to contribute for the Rams."

The decision to sign Colby Parkinson, the team's ostensible top option until at least Higbee returns, comes under criticsm from Howard, too. The 6-foot-7, 251-pound Stanford product inked a three-year, $22 million deal to jump to the Rams from the Seattle Seahawks.

"The Rams added Parkinson in free agency this offseason, a curious move considering he was rarely a full-time player for the Seahawks through his first four NFL seasons. The reality is that Parkinson is not just a capable blocker but also an underrated target in the passing game with quickness rarely seen from guys 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds. There probably isn't much room for Parkinson to have more than a nominal role in the offense, but he is a talented player who could be schemed open against smaller defenders (which is basically everybody)."

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