8 winners and 4 losers in the Rams Week 14 win over the Bills

Loser 3: Rams tight end room

The LA Rams have three tight ends on the roster, and all three saw some level of action in the Week 14 shootout. But in terms of offensive participation, the group as a whole was targeted two times with one reception by TE Colby Parkinson for 11 yards. TE Hunter Long was targeted once without a catch. And TE Davis Allen was simply not targeted.

So why are the Rams carrying six tight ends throughout several rosters?

Clearly, the Rams front office is aiming for an elite tight end like Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, or Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the past two drafts. The team understands that the offense cannot continue to expect wide receivers to be elite in both route running/pass catching as well as blocking forever. So drafting an elite tight end prospect who can deliver that magical combination, much like San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, remains on the shopping list.

Over the past three games, the team has rotated all three tight ends on the active roster into the game in relatively equal portions. Yet, over the past three games, tight ends appear to have ever-diminishing roles in the offensive game plan. Here's what I mean:

• Colby Parkinson - 1/2 10 yards | 1/1 13 yards | 1/1 11 yards
• Hunter Long - 0/0 0 yards | 0/1 0 yards | 0/1 0 yards
• Davis Allen - 0/1 0 yards | 0/0 0 yards | 0/0 0 yards
• TE Totals - 1/3 10 yards | 1/2 13 yards | 1/2 11 yards

That is an abysmal performance from a group that currently occupies three roster slots. And the team has to figure out how to fit the returning starting tight end, Tyler Higbee, into this saturated tight end room. Not only do I expect veteran TE Hunter Long to be playing for a new team at the end of his current contract, but I do not see enough evidence from Davis Allen to warrant returning in 2025, unless TE Tyler Higbee is considering retirement.