The Los Angeles Rams spent the offseason making sure the rest of the league would have a hard time finding a crack in this roster.
The defense got the loudest makeover, with the Myles Garrett blockbuster grabbing the spotlight in June. But the quieter moves - bringing in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to help shore up a secondary that had been battered and easy to target - may wind up mattering even more.
So when ESPN’s Mike Clay went looking for the Rams’ weakest projected starting spot, he nearly landed on “none.” Instead, he pointed to tight end, where Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson are penciled in as starters.
On paper, that makes sense. The Rams don’t have the kind of elite tight end name recognition they do at other positions.
But that’s only part of the story.
Yes, there are questions at receiver beyond Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, who form one of the league’s best duos. At tight end, though, the issue isn’t a lack of usable talent.
It’s the opposite. The Rams have real depth there, with four returning contributors and second-round rookie Max Klare joining the mix.
Parkinson led the group last season, but his production was modest by league standards - he ranked 29th among tight ends in receiving yards. Even so, the room as a whole gave Sean McVay plenty to work with, and that collective value is what makes it easy to overlook.
Tyler Higbee remains in the group, and even in an injury-shortened season his per-game numbers were the best among the Rams’ tight ends. Davis Allen brings the blocking element.
Terrance Ferguson offers a downfield receiving profile that could set him up for a breakout. Add Klare, and McVay suddenly has more options than most teams can dream of at the position.
That versatility showed up in the production. Rams tight ends combined for 103 catches, 1,128 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
Parkinson did plenty of his damage near the goal line, tying for third at the position with eight scores. Matthew Stafford connected for three touchdowns each with Higbee, Allen and Ferguson, and now Klare enters the picture too.
The Rams’ offense leaned into multiple-tight-end looks, and with this group, it’s easy to see why. Even without Klare, McVay had enough pieces to keep the package humming.
Most teams don’t have four viable tight ends. The Rams do.
There are still other spots on the roster that could be debated. Inside linebacker is one, with Omar Speights trying to hold off Nate Landman for a starting job. Special teams also remains a work in progress, even with some encouraging changes, though that unit wasn’t part of the lineup discussion.
But the bigger conversation around this team keeps circling the pass rush, the revamped secondary, the offensive line, the Kyren Williams-Blake Corum backfield and Stafford, who just won MVP. Those groups aren’t being ignored because they’re not weak points.
The tight ends, meanwhile, may be the most productive part of the roster nobody is talking about.
In Other News...
Les Snead Just Made A Very Rams Move For The Future
Les Snead has never been shy about thinking a step or two ahead, and this draft decision fits that familiar Rams pattern. Even with the roster built to chase another run now, the front office keeps finding ways to add young pieces that can matter later, a balancing act that has become part of the organizations identity under Snead and Sean McVay.
The move also says something about where the Rams see the long game heading. With so much of the current core still in place, the temptation is to stay all-in on the present, but Snead keeps acting like a general manager who knows the bill eventually comes due. If Los Angeles is going to avoid the kind of roster drop-off that can hit a contender hard, this is the sort of decision that may look ordinary now and much bigger down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Just Gave Rams Fans Another Reason To Wonder
A fresh social media clip from Aaron Donald was enough to get Rams fans talking again, even though the defensive great has been out of football for two seasons. In the video, Donald is back in a familiar setting, wearing a Los Angeles Rams shirt while working through pass-rushing moves and drawing plenty of attention simply by looking like himself.
The scene only adds to the intrigue around one of the NFLs most dominant players of the past era, because every appearance from Donald now comes with the same question attached. There has been no official word on a comeback, but the sight of him teaching technique and leaning into his old football identity is the kind of thing that keeps the speculation alive in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Just Got Linked To A Brutal NFC West Return
The Rams receiver room already looks imposing with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua at the top, but the conversation around the third spot is starting to matter as the roster takes shape for 2026. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently pointed to a familiar name as a possible fit, noting that Los Angeles could look outside the building if it wants more proven production behind its stars.
Deebo Samuels recent run has kept him in the mix as a potential impact addition, and his profile makes the idea easy to understand for a team trying to stay dangerous in a loaded NFC West. The Rams do have internal options to sort through, but if they decide they want a more established answer, this is the kind of move that would change the feel of the depth chart in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]