2016-Present

Offseason 2017: The L.A. Rams have many needs, tight ends aren’t one of them

It’s undeniable that the Los Angeles Rams have many holes on the roster entering the 2017 offseason. That said, the tight end position should not be a top priority since most of them are locked into contracts. Still, a new coaching staff could also mean new faces; here’s what the tight end corps looks like heading into the offseason:

Lance Kendricks

If used properly, Kendricks can be a decent asset for the Rams. The problem was that Jeff Fisher never utilized his tight ends to their full ability. An example is the re-emergence of Jared Cook in Green Bay, although it helps to have Aaron Rodgers passing the ball. If anyone can get better use of Kendricks, it’s newly appointed head coach Sean McVay. He helped establish guys like Jordan Reed and Logan Paulsen, who weren’t highly touted coming out of college.

This isn’t to say that Kendricks isn’t without fault himself, since he was responsible for dropping passes in critical situations last season. Still, despite the quarterback carousel and the underwhelming performance of the offense, he managed to snag a career high 50 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns. Next season could be a make-or-break year for Kendricks as McVay will likely use this year as a test run.

Tyler Higbee

I believe many fans finished the season disappointed with Higbee’s performance, but the expectations for Higbee were just too high. Perhaps the expectations of the offense overall were too high. It was known that Higbee was going to be a project player in terms of blocking, which explains why he wasn’t on the field much. He did blow quite a few blocking assignments, and his pass-catching needed some work as well.

Higbee dropped key passes and wasn’t given much of an opportunity throughout the season. He finished 2016 with 11 receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown. It’s best not to evaluate him based off last season alone, if you look at the preseason, he showed a lot of promise. True, preseason is a totally different from the regular season, but given that the offense in its entirety struggled, it’s worth giving the rookie TE another shot. Hopefully, McVay can make use of Higbee and Kendricks as a dual-TE set.

Cory Harkey

Harkey was used only as a blocker this year,which is not surprising since he is kept on the roster for blocking purposes, however, he usually is targeted as a receiver at least a few times in a year. This past year he didn’t have a single target. It’s understandable considering that the offensive line could use all the help they could get. The offense couldn’t get the running game going either, so his fullback responsibilities were limited. It’s unknown what type of offense McVay will bring, but a blocking TE/FB is always a great asset to have.

Temarrick Hemingway

To be completely honest, Hemingway was drafted based on his athleticism and potential. He’s an extremely raw player, so it comes as no surprise he wasn’t used much this past season. McVay could try to see what he has in Hemingway, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets cut before the regular season begins. Still, as mentioned above, McVay has a knack for bringing out the best in tight ends. With his size, Hemingway could be a potential weapon if he learns quickly.

Bryce Williams

Williams is a recent signee that was likely brought in for competition. He has great size, standing at 6’6”. Williams does have potential, and he has great hands, but he needs to work on pretty much everything else. His route-running skills needs polishing, doesn’t have the greatest speed, needs help with blocking and needs to be more aggressive. While it’s doubtful he’ll make the roster, he could potentially shock people if he works hard during the offseason.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com

You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.

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