The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to sign Seattle Seahawks tight end Colby Parkinson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
It’s a three-year deal, $22.5 million deal that features $15.5 million in guaranteed money.
Parkinson, who played his collegiate football at Stanford, was selected by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He played in just six games during his rookie campaign, logging only two catches for 16 yards. His role remained minimal during his sophomore season, as he totaled five grabs for 33 yards in 14 contests.
Then, in 2022, Parkinson began to grow, as he participated in every game and caught 25 passes for 322 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He then stagnated this past year, playing in all 17 contests and snaring 25 balls for 247 yards and a pair of scores.
It remains to be seen just how much playing time Parkinson gets with the Rams.
Los Angeles still has Tyler Higbee at tight end, although Higbee’s production definitely declined in 2023. The team also has second-year pro Davis Allen, who the Rams took in the fifth round last year.
At first glance, it seems like a bit of an overpay for Parkinson, who has yet to prove that he can be a truly consistent receiving threat on the NFL level. He put forth some decent numbers at Stanford, amassing 87 receptions for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns in three years there.
The Rams also didn’t have a ton of cap room entering free agency, so the fact that they chose to spend this much on a mediocre tight end is a bit puzzling, to say the least.
However, it’s entirely possible that Sean McVay and Co. see something in the 6-foot-7 Parkinson, who may very well represent a great red zone target for Matthew Stafford.
We’ll see what happens, but as of right now, it seems like a lot of money for Parkinson.
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