The Los Angeles Rams mustn’t commerce for A.J. Brown, as experiences have just lately recommended they may, or any of the various different extensive receivers being talked about as extra weapons for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The rationale comes all the way down to primary math.
If the Rams are as dedicated to working 13 personnel as typically as they did throughout the latter half of final season, as common supervisor Les Snead has recommended Sean McVay plans to do in 2026, there received’t be sufficient snaps to feed an additional physique like Brown. We already noticed how Brown’s lack of enthusiasm for an offense that doesn’t feed him can backfire.
Why would you spend draft capital and tackle one other contract if there aren’t sufficient targets to go round?
In a median NFL recreation there are 63 offensive performs. In a single again scheme, which is what the Rams usually use, that leaves 4 receivers and/or tight ends on the sector on each play, giving that group 252 snaps per recreation, or 4,284 over a 17 recreation season.
In 2023, the Rams ran 11 personnel 91% of the time, leaving three receivers on the sector and giving them 3,094 snaps, plus a bit of the remaining 9%. Let’s spherical that as much as roughly 3,250 receiver snaps for the season, whereas tight ends accounted for about 1,034.
In 2026, it appears to be like like they intend to go 13 personnel not less than 50% of the time.
If we estimate the Rams will use 13 personnel 50% of the time, 12 personnel 10% of the time, and 11 personnel 40% of the time, the snaps out there will probably be 2,040 for receivers and a couple of,244 for tight ends. The place does that go away the Rams?
The WR snap depend is decreased by over 1,000!
Including Klare helps keep it, and alerts these a number of tight finish units will stay a staple for L.A.‘s offense in 2026.
“We plan to be able to build on some of the things that we did last year,” McVay said. “I think that was a benefit for us.”
“All four of the (other Rams TEs) are productive in both phases,” McVay said. “So that’s what you’re searching for. When you’re going to be handled like a decent finish, you bought to be an extension of the run floor. You bought to be purposeful sufficient that for use as one of many 5 eligibles. And so (Klare) does do this.”
The Rams regime is emphasizing that Klare just isn’t supposed to be stashed away for the long run, nor will L.A. jettison half of the tight finish room this yr. McVay expects each tight finish to contribute, leaving much less room for receivers.
By my math, tight ends will probably be getting not less than 1,000 extra snaps subsequent season than they did in 2023.
After watching a number of clips on how the Rams used 13 personnel, it turned clear that not all of the tight ends are getting used the identical. And Klare just isn’t an ideal blocker but, that means that his greatest specialised position in 2026 will probably be as a receiver. In the identical method that receivers have totally different designations in a formation between X, Y, and Z, so too ought to tight ends be considered transferring ahead.
Davis Allen and Tyler Higbee are inline tight ends, whereas Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson are slot tight ends, and Klare could possibly be used in every single place.
Because the Rams depth chart is at the moment constructed, with Puka Nacua as one of many high receivers within the NFL and a favourite goal of Matthew Stafford already, alongside a possible future Corridor of Famer in Davante Adams, there’s no room so as to add one other beginning receiver given McVay’s utilization of tight ends. The Rams would doubtless have to maneuver both Nacua or Adams in a commerce for Brown for the deal to make sense, however these really feel like parallel strikes, if not downgrades.
As an alternative, McVay and Snead ought to belief that between their high two receivers, their various set of tight ends, and the depth at receiver beginning with Jordan Whittington, that L.A. doesn’t have to sacrifice future draft capital for extra go catchers. They’ve sufficient already and may belief that if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it.
Who’s the Rams breakout TE of 2026?
There are alternative ways to interrupt out, however which of those TEs will stand out probably the most?
Closes in 3 days • 37 complete votesView outcomes
Max KlareTerrance FergusonColby ParkinsonDavis AllenRec 1CommentsThin Stroke Remark Icon BubbleReplyRead 9 replies
