No pressure on a first-year player with all of 11 receptions, but a Tyler Higbee breakout season is expected.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon listed his 2017 NFL breakout candidates at every position, and there is the second-year Los Angeles Rams tight end announced as part of the team.
He appears to be in line for a larger role in 2017, as general manager Les Snead told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that the Rams ‘expect big things’ from Higbee in new head coach Sean McVay’s multiple tight end offense. Higbee, who scored 12 touchdowns during his final two season with the Hilltoppers, has that type of potential.
The Rams offense should be better with 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff entering his second season and Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth joining the fray. As a result, the buzz surrounding Higbee at the combine might prove prescient.
That buzz was reported in a tweet from fantasyguru.com’s John Hansen:
Getting a serious Tyler Higbee buzz here at the combine from GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay. TE clearly going to be big part of the offense. pic.twitter.com/ArsqkPCNEG
— John Hansen (@Fantasy_Guru) March 2, 2017
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Higbee recorded 11 receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown in 2016, to be exact. But if the Rams think he can approach the numbers Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed had in 2015 (87 receptions, 952 yards, 11 TDs), then how much will that help the Rams in next week’s draft and in 2017 in general?
If the coaching staff believes a Higbee breakout is possible, the draft can address the other needs at cornerback, outside linebacker, offensive line and wide receiver.
More importantly, it gives second-year quarterback Jared Goff a security blanket that was sorely lacking in 2016. As bad as his numbers were, a lot of Goff’s issues were due to the inconsistencies on the receiving end. Wide receivers were either dropping balls or not creating enough separation to give Goff a comfort level.
A Higbee breakout gives the Rams something else they need heading into 2017.
Hope.
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