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Ramgator
Kendricks cannot touch Higbee.
It's true that Kendricks has not been, is not now, nor ever will be a dominant receiving TE. And it's also true that Higbee shows signs of becoming just that.
It's also true that Higbee is not half the blocking TE Kendricks is.
And that the 2 guys play essentially different roles. Virtually different positions.
Kendricks is a consummate professional HB/TE who can roam the LOS, block from anywhere, and make the occasional nice play in the passing game. After all, he did have a couple catches early, before anyone else could get anything going.
Higbee may or may not develop into the level of blocking excellence Kendricks has already mastered. Thing is, he doesn't really have to do so. He is playing a different role: a passing game threat who can slip a block in now and then.
And, see, the Rams play these roles differently, and often simultaneously. They run 2-TE sets frequently. And depending on the situation, they'll rotate the two. We saw that the last 2 years with He Who Must Not be Named for fear of nightmarish flashbacks to crucial dropped passes. Cook was a heavily featured TE the last 2 years. But, Kendricks played a great deal and was quickly re-signed by an organization that knows his worth.
It is not a competition between the 2. Both will play a lot. Higbee may well become a star. Kendricks will not. But Kendricks is a fine pro of considerable value to our offense. Look closely, and you'll see that Kendricks is at the core of a great deal of what we do.
PS. I am thrilled about Higbee. He could change our fortunes almost as much as Goff might. Love the kid.
But he is not Kendricks, and I know for a fact that Kendricks is a foundation for what we are trying to do.
