Colby Parkinson Camp Update — August 16: The Franchise Record Didn't Buy Him Any Room

Colby Parkinson holds the Rams' franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end, eight of them last season, and the first depth-chart data point of his August went to somebody else: rookie Max Klare led the Rams in targets in Saturday's preseason opener, catching seven of eight for 37 yards, per Stu Jackson of therams.com.

The June preview made an argument that most listeners have not heard, so here it is. Parkinson's big season, 43 catches for 408 yards and those eight scores, was balanced almost entirely on a touchdown rate with no history behind it; across his first five NFL seasons he had scored five times total, then eight in one year. Our claim was that the 43 catches were the real, repeatable player, a modest one, and that the touchdowns were the outlier holding the whole season up. Worse, the role itself was under threat from a re-signed Tyler Higbee, second-year Terrance Ferguson pushing for the receiving job, and a second-round rookie drafted into the same room, all while Parkinson sat on an expiring contract that had made him a named cut-or-trade candidate.

This week's reporting fits that frame almost exactly. Mike Klan of News Channel 3-12 profiled him on August 5, entering his third Rams season, sounding settled, praising Matthew Stafford, "his understanding of football just elevates everyone around him," and saying camp feels like the offense picked up where it left off. The good news is what did not happen: no cut, no trade, and he remains squarely on the roster. But Klan's own piece counts the room at five deep, Higbee, Davis Allen, Ferguson, Klare and Parkinson, and then the rookie went out and took the biggest target share of the opener. The squeeze we described is no longer hypothetical; it is visible in a box score.

Does the June read hold? CONFIRMED — the crowd we warned about is real and already eating targets, and nothing this week suggested the eight touchdowns have a sequel coming.

Next week, watch the roster itself first, since a trade or release ends the story, then the snap split with Ferguson and Higbee, and any red-zone usage when the starters play. We'll check next Sunday.

_Data via nflverse._