Countdown to Camp is a series breaking down the Rams roster by position group heading into the team's first open training camp practice. The ninth and final installment examines the tight ends.
While training camp holds value for every position on a roster, this time will arguably be most critical for the Rams' tight end room.
With perennial starter Tyler Higbee a candidate for the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list because of his knee injury sustained in January's playoff game against the Lions, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long, Nikola Kalinic, Miller Forristall and Neal Johnson all face an important stretch of the summer.
Parkinson, signed to a 3-year deal on March 14, comes from a similar offensive family tree, with former Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shane Waldron serving as his offensive coordinator at the Seahawks over the last three seasons. Allen already has familiarity from his 15 regular season games' worth of experience – plus the wild card playoff game – during his rookie year. Kalinic and Forristall were both members of last season's practice squad, while Johnson was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana.
Long was limited to four games in an injury-shortened 2023 season, and enters the final year of his rookie contract.
The prospect of the PUP list for Higbee means potential expanded roles for Parkinson and Allen and Long, especially. It remains to be see how that looks, but more will be asked of them to make up for the the possible absence of Higbee.
