5 unstoppable offensive stars who must carry the LA Rams into the postseason

Parkinson will give still competition in training camp

His competition this year is 6-foot-7 265-pound tight end Colby Parkinson, a free agent signed to a three-year contract and who is clearly earmarked as the frontrunner to take over for Tyler Higbee when the time comes. For now, he is learning the team's offensive playbook, and trying to make a positive impression on the coaching staff through OTAs and mini-camp.

So far, it's working.

Parkinson was a reliable backup tight end in the Seattle Seahawks offense, catching 25 of 34 passes for two touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Like the Rams roster this year, he was log-jammed as the third of three tight end options, and that limited his workload and opportunities.

The Rams believe that Parkinson could be a key to improving their Red Zone offensive effectiveness, and I believe that they are correct. Parkinson is not only a skyscraper, but his size makes him an ideal piledriver at blocking in short-yardage situations. The thing is that Parkinson boasted a 74 percent completion rate with the Seahawks on a relatively light workload. Will he maintain or improve upon that catch rate if he is targeted more frequently in the Rams offense?

That is what the team is counting on. I believe that Parkinson does have significant upside in the Red Zone. But I believe in the overall offensive scheme, he may struggle to outperform Davis Allen.