Rams Roster: Fast 40+ LA Rams roster roundup TE Davis Allen (#7)

One of the rather thin roster spots on the 2022 LA Rams roster was the tight end position. Mid-season, the team decided to purge the roster of any and all players not deemed likely to return for the 2023 NFL season. That purged included veteran TE Kendall Blanton. While that was not necessarily alarming, it did create a bit of a pickle for the Rams roster. You see, the only two remaining tight ends on the Rams roster were veteran TE Tyler Higbee and somewhat disappointing TE Brycen Hopkins

Compounding the problem further, the Rams offensive game plan for the 2023 NFL season appears to be placing more emphasis on the running game than previous years. That leads to a logical conclusion for the Rams to seek 12 personnel packages to augment blocking to support a robust running game. And so, the shopping list for the Rams draft expanded into the tight end position.

But not just any tight end.

Rams seeking Johnny Mundt II

The Rams needed to select very specific type of tight end. One who could put up yards in the passing game, but one who could also do an effective job at in-line blocking to set the edge and give the Rams running game a fighting chance at attacking the defensive perimeter.

Part of the answer arrived before the 2023 NFL Draft, as the LA Rams traded former DB Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 draft pick and TE Hunter Long. Long was a seldom thrown to tight end who had established a reputation for good blocking skills in the Dolphins offense.

The trick is that until the pads go on and the Rams coaching staff has the chance to see real contact (like that seen in preseason games), the question mark over who will best perform as a blocking tight end will continue. To that end, the Rams drafted Clemson TE Davis Allen. But as he fell to injury, the Rams front office continued to add depth to the position.