Asthe Ramsmove into the heavy-lifting phase of their offseason program, they are essentially set on their starting lineup.
But that doesn’t mean some big-time jobs and roles aren’t up for grabs.
Here are three battles to keep an eye on during OTAs and minicamp:
Going into the NFL draft, an argument could have been made for the Rams having the deepest tight end room in the league, led by Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen.
But that didn’t stop them from investing a second-round pick inOhio State’s Max Klare. And don’t think for a second they did so with the idea of stashing him for one season or only using him as an injury replacement.
Klare is going to play this year. He’s too good not to. The only question is, whose playing time suffers as a result?
Last season, Parkinson and Allen played more than 50% of the Rams’ offensive snaps, while Ferguson and Higbee each appeared in more than 30% of the snaps. Higbee’s playing time was affected by the ankle injury he suffered in Week 11.
Even with the Rams’ heavy emphasis on “13” personnel — or three tight ends — something has to give on that front. It’s a great problem to have, of course, and clearly the Rams are built to withstand injuries at this position.
But with Klare showing TE1 traits, albeit eventually, he is likely to challenge for significant playing time this year. Maybe even TE2 — but clearly TE3. And he’ll have a chance to start proving that throughout the remainder of the offseason program.
The Rams will knock on wood early and often that Matthew Stafford stays healthy for the season. But wishful thinking only gets you so far, and at some point, they may have to turn to their backup quarterback.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
