The Los Angeles Rams took the NFL by storm last season when they introduced 13 personnel to the offense. After being primarily a three wide receiver team in 11 personnel sets, the Rams completely flipped the script in the middle of the year. The Rams suddenly became a heavy personnel team, utilizing three tight ends at one of the highest rates in the NFL.
When all was said and done, the Rams ran 330 plays out of 13 personnel which was nearly one-third of their offense and had twice as many as the team with the second-highest rate in the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, the Rams only ran 22 fewer plays in 13 personnel than the Steelers, Cardinals, and Colts combined that were the only other teams to run more than 100 plays.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the Rams continue to build on 13 personnel or if McVay goes back to his comfort zone in 11 personnel. An argument can be made that the Rams went to 13 personnel out of necessity rather than a purposeful twist. When 13 personnel was introduced in Week 7, it was a game that Puka Nacua missed. With the lack of depth at wide receiver and some of the injuries at the position, using 13 personnel made sense.
However, the Rams were also incredibly efficient out of 13 personnel. Their 0.5 EPA per pass ranked fifth and their 0.07 EPA per rush ranked fourth. Comparatively, the Rams averaged 0.17 EPA per pass and 0.01 EPA per rush. In other words, they were almost three times more efficient throwing the ball and seven times more efficient running the ball.
For the most part, many would like to see the Rams continue to build on what they did in 13 personnel last season. However, if the Rams are going to run 13 personnel, they need tight ends and depth at the position. With Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen as the only tight ends on the roster heading into the offseason, the Rams need to continue to add at the position. While the Rams could bring Tyler Higbee back, his contract expiring feels like a natural time to move on. Higbee has also struggled to stay healthy.
It’s also worth noting that Parkinson and Allen are entering the final year of their contracts. The Rams could opt to bring one or both back, but adding at the position to backfill if needed wouldn’t be a bad idea. That’s not to say that the Rams need to draft Kenyon Sadiq in the first round or spend $11 million per season on Kyle Pitts. However, adding a mid-level free agent or a tight end on day two or day three of the draft makes sense.
Even still, the Rams could look to “accelerate” the development of Terrance Ferguson by adding another veteran free agent who can produce. Multiple things can be true here when it comes to Ferguson. The Rams can be very excited about his potential and development. At the same time, it might be more realistic to expect a jump from year two to year three than year one to year two.
That doesn’t mean that Ferguson isn’t or won’t be a good player. With that said, in a “win now” window and season in which the Rams want to go “all in”, adding a player that accelerates Ferguson’s development and role in the offense makes sense.
The development rate of tight ends is why they are typically seen as such bad value in the first round. There are many cases in which it takes until the third or even fourth years for the player to hit their potential which is the end of their rookie contracts. Tight ends typically have a slower development rate than wide receivers or other positions because the learning curve from college to the NFL is much steeper.
An experienced player like David Njoku who has been underutilized in a bad situation with the Cleveland Browns could make sense. Isaiah Likely and Cade Otton are players who should be developed now heading into year five. They are options to consider as well. Those players may cost $9 million per season, but the Rams also had $9.2 million tied into Tyler Higbee last season. There’s a good chance any one of Njoku, Likely, or Otton would be more productive than Higbee was in 2025.
There’s obvious concern that adding one of those players to jump Ferguson on the depth chart would hinder his development. At the same time, if the Rams continue to utilize 13 personnel, Ferguson will still see snaps. Additionally, a veteran player with a similar style could be a benefit to Ferguson’s development in the long run.
It’s true that the Rams have Davis Allen in the mix as well. At the same time, the Rams shouldn’t opt against adding a tight end because of Allen. In three years, Allen has 342 total receiving yards. It’s important to be realistic about what he is. He’s a good role player and special teams contributor. Allen’s presence shouldn’t sway the Rams away from adding another tight end.
Again, the Rams could very well go back to more 11 personnel this season which would make the tight end position moot in the offense. However, one poor performance offensively and fans are going to want the Rams and McVay to go back to heavy personnel packages that worked so well this season. That is something that they can and should continue to build on in 2026. In a “win now” season and with two tight ends on the final years of their contracts, the Rams need to continue adding to the position.
