The Rams Have Plenty of Tight Ends and Should Trade One to the Panthers

The Panthers have a perceived weakness and their playoff foe from 2025 could offer a solution. But does Dave Canales’s team really have a tight end problem?

Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead watches during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stop if you’ve heard this before. The Carolina Panthers could use some help at the tight end position. It’s not necessarily wrong, but if there is indeed a concern, head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan don’t feel it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Here are the combined numbers the past two seasons: 138 catches for 1,233 yards (8.9 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns. The club has Tommy Tremble, and Morgan did draft a tight end in both 2024 (Ja’Tavion Sanders) and 2025 (Mitchell Eavns) but did not address the position in April's draft.

Panthers have had their opportunities to upgrade their tight end room

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There was talk that the Panthers may have interest in University of Oregon standout Kenyon Sadiq in the first round. As it turned out, he wasn’t around at No. 19 as the New York Jets selected Sadiq with the 16th overall selection. In terms of free agency, former Pro Bowler David Njoku was available for some time but he wound up joining the Los Angeles Chargers.

Never fear. There’s a team that has eight tight ends (including a pair of rookie free agents) on their current roster, but it’s obviously one reason that Moe Moton of Bleacher Report feels that the Los Angeles Rams should consider dealing starter Colby Parkinson.

“Head coach Sean McVay's offense features multiple tight ends in rotation,” explained Moton, “but it's an overcrowded room. The Rams signed Tyler Higbee to a two-year extension and selected Max Klare in the second round of this year's draft…Assuming Klare, (Terrance) Ferguson and Higbee are roster locks, Colby Parkinson or Davis Allen could be the odd man out if the Rams keep four tight ends. They're both entering the last year of their deals…”

Would Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan actually trade for a tight end?

Josh Jobe with a poor decision to undercut this route from Colby Parkinson, opening up the lofted lane for Matt Stafford to access and easily lead the Rams TE on a 40-yard gain.#Seahawks #SeattleSeahawks #Rams pic.twitter.com/Okr1yPn2Lj

— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) January 26, 2026

Moton also points out that Parkinson, who just concluded his second season with the Rams after four seasons with the Seahawks, totaled career-bests with 43 grabs, 408 receiving yards, and eight touchdown receptions in 15 contests. He was also targeted 14 times during the club’s three-game postseason run, finishing with eight catches for a whopping 152 yards and another TD.

That’s nine touchdowns in 18 outings in 2025, one more score than Carolina tight ends have combined for in 35 total contests (including playoffs) the past two seasons.

It’s obvious that the 27-year-old Parkinson could be a worthwhile addition for just about any team, and it is certainly possible that McVay and general manager Les Snead are in a trade-happy mood these days. It also seems that regardless of the opportunity, the Panthers just don’t seem interested in adding to their tight end room anytime soon and have made that quite clear.