With the Rams offense struggling, Sean McVay is looking for ways to get things going again. One of the most notable changes in the last two weeks has been the role of Colby Parkinson.
As a major free agent signing, Parkinson's playing time has dropped significantly over the last two weeks, seeing him on the field in just 43 total snaps after playing 46 snaps in Week 8 alone. He was barely involved against the Dolphins on Monday night. He played just 11 total snaps and wasn't targeted once for the second straight game.
Davis Allen has seemingly taken over as the top tight end on the depth chart and is coming off a five-catch game against Miami. On Wednesday, McVay was asked if Parkinson was healthy considering how little he's played, and he shared a bit about what led to the change.
“That’s him,” McVay said. “What we’re seeing is (TEs coach Nick) Caley, I think, is doing a great job with those tight ends. It's just that we had some different personnel groupings and we're really trying to get the best out of those three guys, both Davis, Hunter (Long) and of course Colby. They did some good things, but I think the strength of the unit is in that unity and getting all those people involved.”
Parkinson has underperformed as a starter, catching just 23 passes for 214 yards so far this season. He also struggled as a blocker in the run game, and an illegal formation penalty against the Seahawks in Week 9 didn't help.
It sounds like all three tight ends will continue to play every week, but Parkinson has clearly fallen out of favor with the coaching staff in recent weeks and he may not play more than 80 percent of the snaps again.
