3 LA Rams we can safely call busts after the 2024 NFL season

(1) - TE Hunter Long

Tight end Hunter Long is the 'other guy,' involved in the Rams trade of All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins. At the time, Long was touted as a tight end that had intrigued the Rams front office in the 2021 NFL Draft. Ultimately, he was selected in Round 3 by the Dolphins, appearing in three games with two starts as a rookie.

The Rams seem to have two categories for tight end roles on the team. Former tight end Gerald Everett seemed to check the box for a pass-catching tight end. The Rams hoped to coach former tight end Brycen Hopkins into that type of role, with little success. Had the team managed to trade up in either of the past two drafts to select either TE Dalton Kincaid or Brock Bowers, they would have taken up the mantle of that role.

The team is not unappreciative of a blocking tight end. TE Johnny Mundt had a great deal of success in that niche role in the Rams offense. When the team tapped Hunter Long as a player to include in the Ramsey trade, the team almost certainly considered him in that blocking tight end category.

Unfortunately for the Rams, Hunter Long never developed into a blocking tight end either.

I'm not suggesting that Long couldn't block. He simply did not block consistently. And the Rams offense vitally depends on blocking tight ends to, well . . . block. In 2024, with starting tight end Tyler Higbee out for almost the entire season, Long had every opportunity to seize a larger role in the offense. But he only mustered 279 offensive snaps, nine targets, seven catches, one drop, and 60 receiving yards. Considering the fact that the Rams carried four tight ends on the roster in 2024 while Tyler Higbee was getting his sea legs under him, that was a pretty poor return for a valuable roster spot.

The team is still in need of a successor to veteran TE Tyler Higbee, but Hunter Long is not even close. While I believe Long could have value on some NFL teams in a backup tight end role, the Rams roster is saturated with tight ends who have plateaued. They may reinforce the ranks in the abundance of tight end talent available in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that is the exception rather than the rule this offseason.

These three players have exhausted their chances with the LA Rams. While you may disagree with the term 'bust,' as it is used in this headline, the meaning is quite clear. There's the door, and the Rams urge that these players do not let it hit them on the way out.

As always, thanks for reading.

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