Patriots are in prime position to capitalize on Rams' $7 million dilemma

When the New England Patriots signed Julian Hill to a three-year, $15 million contract this spring, it looked like their tight end room was set for 2026. However, dreams of a Hill-Hunter Henry duo making life difficult for opposing defenses dissipated once the free-agent signee suffered a season-ending knee injury in OTAs.

Left with essentially just the 31-year-old Henry and third-round rookie Eli Raridon, the Patriots have precious little depth at a position that's always been featured heavily in Josh McDaniels' offense.

But that could soon change if the Los Angeles Rams care about keeping a little more cash in their pockets.

Rams face financial decision with Colby Parkinson

Coming off career-highs across the board, veteran Colby Parkinson carries a $9 million cap charge for the 2026 season—the final year of his contract. While the Rams could sign him to an extension, they have another option on the table: release the 27-year-old and save $7 million.

And considering their financial situation, it shouldn't be a surprise to see Parkinson's name floated as a top cut candidate in a recent piece posted on Bleacher Report.

"The Los Angeles Rams packed their tight ends room to capacity this offseason. With several new faces joining an already-crowded group, Colby Parkinson—one of the top veterans from last year's squad—could be on his way out the door," wrote B/R's Alex Kay.

According to Over the Cap, the Rams have $18.8 million in cap space heading into training camp. That puts them right in the middle of the pack, but with Puka Nacua in need of an extension and depth issues to address at receiver and linebacker, general manager Les Snead could make life a little easier by letting Parkinson go and freeing up some more spending power.

The Rams already re-signed one of their veteran tight ends by inking Tyler Higbee to a two-year extension this offseason. After spending a first-round pick on quarterback of the future Ty Simpson, Snead used a second-rounder on tight end Max Klare.

And with 2025 second-rounder Terrance Ferguson expected to take a leap forward, moving on from Parkinson in favor of younger, cheaper players makes sense for a Rams team that just went all-in to acquire highly paid defensive stars, Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie.

Of course, the Rams could also view Parkinson as a reliable part of their offense and someone they should hold onto when they're clearly in win-now mode. Then again, Snead and head coach Sean McVay are completely unpredictable, and it's not like the Rams have shown much worry about the salary cap over the years.

Patriots should pounce on Parkinson if he becomes available

From a Patriots perspective, Parkinson would be a terrific fit as a complementary piece of the passing game. At 6-foot-7, 266 pounds, he brings excellent size and a wide catch radius—both of which could help solve New England's red-zone woes. PFF graded Parkinson as the 10th-best tight end out of 37 qualifying players, and his receiving grade of 75.5 ranked 13th.

More importantly, Parkinson could take some of the blocking burden off of Henry, who functions best as a receiving threat. That's exactly why the Patriots paid a fairly hefty sum for Hill, even though he never put up huge pass-catching numbers.

Bringing in Parkinson would also take the pressure off the Patriots to put Raridon on the field right away. The Notre Dame product has plenty of intriguing physical skills, but he's more of a long-term project than an immediate solution.

Ultimately, if the Rams want to save $7 million and pave the way for a pair of second-round picks to step up behind Higbee, that should be welcomed news for Eliot Wolf and the coaching staff. Because with the way the Patriots' tight end depth chart looks at the moment, there's no doubt they need to bring in an established veteran sooner than later.

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