The Rams Have Signed Terrance Ferguson, So What's Next?

It's official. Terrance Ferguson is a member of the Los Angeles Rams, signing his rookie contract on Thursday, ending all possibilities of a holdout.

"Rams reached agreement today with second-round pick, TE Terrance Ferguson, on a four-year $9,713,466 contract, including $8,046,753 guaranteed, per his agent Steve Caric," wrote ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Now that this piece of business is done and dusted, unless Ferguson is moved for some reason, the next time he'll be able to negotiate his next deal will be in three years, giving the Rams a potential superstar on a prorated deal and giving Ferguson time to develop into the type of tight end that makes eight figures a season.

However, the Rams need his to excel right now. Tyler Higbee is an older player with a documented injury history that has severely affected him in the postseason. Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen has their oppertunities to cement themselves as the Rams' next starting tight end last year and didn't, paving the way for Ferguson to receive plenty of snaps this season.

However, the NFL isn't about ability. Everyone in the NFL has the ability. It's about intelligence, chemistry, and unit cohesiveness. Does Ferguson have what it takes to play big boy football?

Regardless of last season, Allen and Parkinson have been fighting for their opportunities during OTAs, and that's a session that isn't designed to be intense. Just imagine what they're going to do during training camp.

Not only that, the players the tight ends are going up against are a linebacker group full of players who are unsure of their futures and ready to whack somebody into next week in order to achieve a sense of security.

Perhaps unfair but the NFL isn't about being thrown into the fire and handling the heat, that's a byproduct of being in the league. The Rams need Ferguson to become the next Travis Kelce in order to evolve their 11-personnel system to fit the needs of a modern offense against defenses built to stop the pass.

The reason the Rams struggled so much in the red zone is due to their inability to target bigger players in the end zone. Ferguson is already showing he can do that...without pads.

How about when the pads are on and players are hitting at full speed?

Not only that, will Ferguson be able to make the critical blocks to support a strong rushing attack?

This is chin check time and while the Rams coaching staff and players have been complementory of Ferguson, they can't trust him...yet.

The Rams have veterans across the board on offense. Ferguson in the new guy. What he does within the first few days of training camp will set the tone for his success this season.

Considering is collegiate career, my money is on him making big plays early and letting defenders know he isn't one to play with.

With money in his pocket and the dreams of a Super Bowl on his mind, this is where Ferguson establishes himself as a beloved player within the locker room and fan base.