The Los Angeles Rams’ crowded tight end room could make Colby Parkinson a trade candidate before the 2026 season, according to one analyst’s hypothetical scenario.
With Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen already on the roster, alongside second-round rookie Max Klare, the Rams may want to move on from their most expensive and most productive tight end heading into the season. As such, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton floated a deal that would send Parkinson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a mid-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Though Parkinson led the Rams’ tight ends with eight touchdowns last year, the club may be willing to trade him if Ferguson (a 2025 second-rounder) and Klare show they’re ready to take on big roles this year.
Parkinson is coming off the best season of his six-year career. He caught 43 passes for 408 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns in 2025, setting the Rams’ single-season franchise record for touchdown receptions by a tight end. He also posted the first multi-touchdown game of his career against Detroit in Week 15 and closed the year with two more scores against Arizona in Week 18.
Still, the Rams’ tight end room is unusually deep heading into 2026. Higbee remains on the roster, Ferguson is entering his second season after being drafted in the second round in 2025, and Klare arrives as this year’s second-round pick. Davis Allen rounds out a group that combined to give the Rams one of the league’s most productive tight end rotations last season.
Parkinson is also in the final year of his deal with a $9.08 million cap hit, meaning the Rams may lose him for nothing this offseason if they don’t want to re-sign him. Recouping a mid-round draft pick for a player who might not even play a full complement of snaps is a solid return on investment for someone the team signed to a modest three-year, $22.5 million contract in 2024.
A trade remains speculative for now, with no indication the Rams and Panthers have discussed a deal. But if Ferguson or Klare push for a bigger role in training camp, Parkinson’s spot on a crowded depth chart could become expendable, potentially netting Los Angeles extra draft capital for a 2027 class the front office is already looking to stock up on.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Hypothetical Colby Parkinson trade nets Rams a mid-round pick in 2027
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
