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Rams tight end Colby Parkinson holds his son, Forrest, at training camp. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
During four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, tight end Colby Parkinson watched the Rams offense from afar.
He saw coach Sean McVay’s innovative schemes. He observed tight end Tyler Higbee, who he had trained with during a few offseasons, thrive.
So when Parkinson became a free agent, the Rams were a natural landing spot for the Simi Valley native and former Westlake Village Oaks Christian High standout.
“It’s really cool to see from the inside-out now what I’ve admired for a long time now from the outside looking in,” Parkinson said Wednesday after a jog-through at Loyola Marymount. “Seeing the work ethic, seeing how Sean runs things — it’s amazing and it’s a blessing to be here.”
Higbee, an eight-year veteran, is recovering from a knee injury suffered in a wild-card playoff defeat at Detroit last season. He is present in meetings and helping on the sideline, but he is not practicing and not expected to return until mid–to-late season.
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That made signing or drafting a tight end a priority for a Rams team that finished with a better-than-expected 10-7 record in 2023.
In each of the last two seasons, Parkinson caught 25 passes, two for touchdowns.
As he surveyed the free-agent landscape, Parkinson eyed the Rams and noted what Higbee had said in the past about the Rams’ environment.
“I had gotten to know him pretty well and heard his take on the Rams and how they run things,” Parkinson said. “So I knew his stance on it, and it was a very positive one, so that definitely helped.”
Parkinson signed a three-year contract with the Rams that includes $15.5 million in guarantees, according to Overthecap.com.
With Higbee sidelined, Parkinson, 25, is the most experienced player in a position group that includes second-year pro Davis Allen and fourth-year pro Hunter Long,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tyler-higbees-stories-rams-lured-231442210.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-07-31 23:14:42
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