LA Rams: 7 players who could be surprise cuts in 2021

Blocking tight end

The LA Rams continue to bring back tight end Johnny Mundt, despite his lack of offensive production, because he is so very good at blocking. He has been lined tight to the offensive tackle, in an H-back spot, a Y-back spot, and in the backfield. Infrequently, he will be targeted in the passing game. But most often, he is just one more body set up to bang defenders around.

I think that Johnny Mundt offers more than all of that. When he is used as a bonafide receiver, he appears to be blessed with good hands and a working knowledge of working into the open part of the coverage. Unfortunately, it appears that he has been typecast with the Rams coaching staff and that he will forever be just a primary blocker to this offense.

That’s not a bad niche, as long as he can maintain a monopoly on the role. But the Rams have added two players who are also quite adept at blocking starting with rookie tight end Jacob Harris and rookie wide receiver Ben Skowronek, and both appear to have much higher upsides in the passing game as huge-bodied targets for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

It appears that it simply is no longer enough to block from a skilled position. Perhaps that is why the LA Rams have resisted the trend of incorporating a fullback into their offensive scheme. The singular use of a rostered player to block is not something that the coaching staff is particularly comfortable with.

The LA Rams continue to re-sign Johnny Mundt to a one-year modest contract. That doesn’t bode well for his long-term security and is indicative that the Rams do not envision his role as a long-term solution. In fact, the team may be prepared to sever the relationship this year.