Rams 2024 offseason position preview: Tight End…
| February 03, 2024 03:07AM |
Rams 2024 offseason position preview: Tight end
[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
The Los Angeles Rams have a bunch of positions to address this offseason as they continue building toward becoming contenders in 2024, and tight end will surely be one of them. Tyler Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in the playoff loss to Detroit and may not be ready for Week 1. Brycen Hopkins is also a pending free agent, leaving very little depth and experience at the position for next season.
While Higbee hasn’t been ruled out for the start of the season yet, expecting him to be 100% healthy in eight months after an injury like that is unwise. So, the Rams will probably look to bring in some help, either via free agency or the draft.
Under contract
David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Higbee ($11.48M cap hit)
Hunter Long ($1.34M cap hit)
Miller Forristall ($985,000 cap hit)
Davis Allen ($976,244 cap hit)
Nikola Kalinic ($915,000 cap hit)
When considering Higbee’s knee injury, this doesn’t look like a wildly impressive group. Long missed significant time in 2023, Forristall and Kalinic will be fringe roster players this offseason and Allen will only be in his second year.
Tight end hasn’t been a high-priority position for the Rams during Sean McVay’s tenure because Higbee has been such a steady player, but the group heading into 2024 isn’t a strong one and could absolutely use some attention.
Pending free agents
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Brycen Hopkins (UFA)
Hopkins was supposed to step up as the No. 2 tight end after Gerald Everett left in 2021, but he has yet to carve out a big role for himself in the NFL. Sure, he’s had his moments and he helped the Rams during their Super Bowl run, but 13 catches for 196 yards in four seasons isn’t going to cut it as a former fourth-round pick.
He’s the Rams’ only pending free agent at tight end and given the fact that he was a healthy scratch at times in 2023, it’s unlikely they’re going to re-sign him.
Level of need: Medium
(Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
It’s hard to feel any better about the Rams’ tight end group now than at the beginning of last season. Higbee is looking at starting the year on the PUP list, Long couldn’t stay healthy and Allen was just a fifth-round pick in 2023.
At the very least, the Rams need to either sign a veteran in free agency or draft a tight end relatively early in order to round out the depth chart at tight end. Otherwise, they’ll be left hoping Higbee can recover quickly before Week 1.
Outlook
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Assuming Higbee can’t get back from his torn ACL and MCL before Week 1, the Rams will have a new starting tight end. The likeliest option is Allen, but there’s a long way to go until the start of the season so Long or another outside option could also compete for the top spot on the depth chart.
Tight end often comes with a difficult transition from college to the NFL, so expecting a rookie to step in right away may not be fair or wise. The safer option is signing an experienced veteran who can at least fill in until Higbee returns, whenever that may be.
[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
The Los Angeles Rams have a bunch of positions to address this offseason as they continue building toward becoming contenders in 2024, and tight end will surely be one of them. Tyler Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in the playoff loss to Detroit and may not be ready for Week 1. Brycen Hopkins is also a pending free agent, leaving very little depth and experience at the position for next season.
While Higbee hasn’t been ruled out for the start of the season yet, expecting him to be 100% healthy in eight months after an injury like that is unwise. So, the Rams will probably look to bring in some help, either via free agency or the draft.
Under contract
David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Higbee ($11.48M cap hit)
Hunter Long ($1.34M cap hit)
Miller Forristall ($985,000 cap hit)
Davis Allen ($976,244 cap hit)
Nikola Kalinic ($915,000 cap hit)
When considering Higbee’s knee injury, this doesn’t look like a wildly impressive group. Long missed significant time in 2023, Forristall and Kalinic will be fringe roster players this offseason and Allen will only be in his second year.
Tight end hasn’t been a high-priority position for the Rams during Sean McVay’s tenure because Higbee has been such a steady player, but the group heading into 2024 isn’t a strong one and could absolutely use some attention.
Pending free agents
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Brycen Hopkins (UFA)
Hopkins was supposed to step up as the No. 2 tight end after Gerald Everett left in 2021, but he has yet to carve out a big role for himself in the NFL. Sure, he’s had his moments and he helped the Rams during their Super Bowl run, but 13 catches for 196 yards in four seasons isn’t going to cut it as a former fourth-round pick.
He’s the Rams’ only pending free agent at tight end and given the fact that he was a healthy scratch at times in 2023, it’s unlikely they’re going to re-sign him.
Level of need: Medium
(Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
It’s hard to feel any better about the Rams’ tight end group now than at the beginning of last season. Higbee is looking at starting the year on the PUP list, Long couldn’t stay healthy and Allen was just a fifth-round pick in 2023.
At the very least, the Rams need to either sign a veteran in free agency or draft a tight end relatively early in order to round out the depth chart at tight end. Otherwise, they’ll be left hoping Higbee can recover quickly before Week 1.
Outlook
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Assuming Higbee can’t get back from his torn ACL and MCL before Week 1, the Rams will have a new starting tight end. The likeliest option is Allen, but there’s a long way to go until the start of the season so Long or another outside option could also compete for the top spot on the depth chart.
Tight end often comes with a difficult transition from college to the NFL, so expecting a rookie to step in right away may not be fair or wise. The safer option is signing an experienced veteran who can at least fill in until Higbee returns, whenever that may be.
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Rams43 | 76 | February 03, 2024 03:07AM |
