When McVay was hired, everybody thought we'd be a TE heavy offense. True to that idea, the very first draft pick in the McVay era was Gerald Everett, TE. Higbee was a second year player in 2017 and finding that #2 TE has truly been elusive. Everett just didn't work out. And thankfully Gurley was excellent in the passing game. Meanwhile Higbee was solid throughout the McVay era. Consider this; over the last 9 years Higbee has been targeted in the top 5 among Rams receivers 7 times. Remarkable considering 2024 was a lost year due to his knee injury. He has finished top 5 in receptions 6 of the last 7 years (with that 7th being 2024). He's reportedly worshipped in the locker room yet some fans wonder why they keep him around? Production and leadership would be my guess.
When he was hired, McVay must have seen he had Gurley and Higbee but not much else. So they drafted Kupp and Josh Reynolds, signed Robert Woods and traded for Sammy Watkins. The target share was pretty evenly distributed. WR, RB, WR, WR, TE.
Kupp 94, Gurley 87, Woods 85, Watkins 70, Higbee a distant fifth with 45.
It changed in 2018 with the loss of Watkins and the acquistion of Cooks. WR, WR, RB, WR, WR
Woods 130, Cooks 117, Gurley 81, Kupp (*injury shortened season) 55, Reynolds 53.
In 2019 with Kupp healthy and Gurley not so much the targets shifted again. WR, WR, TE, WR, TE
Woods 139, Kupp 134, Higbee 89, Cooks (concussed) 72, Everett 60.
Finally in 2020, the TEs came to the forefront. WR, WR, WR, TE, TE.
Woods 129, Kupp 124, Reynolds 81, Everett 62, Higbee 60.
But by then McVay was done with Goff and also looking for a RB, drafting Henderson in 2019 and Akers in 2020. Neither would come close to Gurley's production and so, their target share was extremely low.
With the arrival of Stafford, and still no viable RB weapon, the target share reverted back to WR heavy. WR, WR, TE, WR, WR
Kupp 191, Jefferson 89, Higbee 85, Woods 69, Beckham 48. Consider the injured Woods and late arriving Beckham basically comprised 1 WR position. Henderson had 40 targets, the first time since 2019 a Rams RB had that many. But it dropped right back down in 2022.
2022. The outlier. Stafford was injured, Kupp was injured, Woods was gone and the O line was a shambles and so the season was a waste. Target share? TE, WR, WR, WR, WR
Higbee 108, Kupp 98, Skowronek 61, ARobinson 52, Jefferson 44.
2023 is when a shift started to occur. Puka arrived, Akers departed and Kyren showed up. Target share. WR, WR, TE, WR, RB. This was the year they drafted Davis Allen as TE2.
Puka 160, Kupp 95, Higbee 70, Tutu 67, Kyren 48 (first time since 2018 a RB has finished in the top 5).
2024 with Higbee absent from the lineup and Parkinson the new TE, again the targets shifted towards WR heavy. WR, WR, WR, WR, TE.
Puka 106, Kupp 100, DRob 64, Tutu 62, Parkinson 49. Kyren again had 40, a figure that would increase in 2025.
2025 with Kupp gone and the necessity of using 13P due to injuries, the targets shirted and the TEs and RB were more involved. WR, WR, TE, RB, TE
Puka 166, Adams 114, Parkinson 56, Kyren 50, Higbee 36 (for good measure the next two were TEs...Allen 33 and Ferguson 25)
We seem to be worried about WR 3 and it might be a moot point. With a stable of TEs, two dynamic WRs, a RB getting more targets in the passing game, the need for a #3 WR doesn't seem as important. However, a stable of capable guys like Whittington, Konata, X and Daniels can give the top 2 a blow when needed and keep defenses guessing. It wouldn't hurt to get Corum more involved in the passing game.....if only he can work on his hands. I saw a few bounce off them and at least 1 get picked as a result. I wonder what Hunter's receiving skills amount to? But it could be having a couple of quality WRs (Puka, Adams), a couple of quality TEs (Parkinson/Higbee, Ferguson) and a quality RB in the receiving game is in fact the best McVay offense.
When he was hired, McVay must have seen he had Gurley and Higbee but not much else. So they drafted Kupp and Josh Reynolds, signed Robert Woods and traded for Sammy Watkins. The target share was pretty evenly distributed. WR, RB, WR, WR, TE.
Kupp 94, Gurley 87, Woods 85, Watkins 70, Higbee a distant fifth with 45.
It changed in 2018 with the loss of Watkins and the acquistion of Cooks. WR, WR, RB, WR, WR
Woods 130, Cooks 117, Gurley 81, Kupp (*injury shortened season) 55, Reynolds 53.
In 2019 with Kupp healthy and Gurley not so much the targets shifted again. WR, WR, TE, WR, TE
Woods 139, Kupp 134, Higbee 89, Cooks (concussed) 72, Everett 60.
Finally in 2020, the TEs came to the forefront. WR, WR, WR, TE, TE.
Woods 129, Kupp 124, Reynolds 81, Everett 62, Higbee 60.
But by then McVay was done with Goff and also looking for a RB, drafting Henderson in 2019 and Akers in 2020. Neither would come close to Gurley's production and so, their target share was extremely low.
With the arrival of Stafford, and still no viable RB weapon, the target share reverted back to WR heavy. WR, WR, TE, WR, WR
Kupp 191, Jefferson 89, Higbee 85, Woods 69, Beckham 48. Consider the injured Woods and late arriving Beckham basically comprised 1 WR position. Henderson had 40 targets, the first time since 2019 a Rams RB had that many. But it dropped right back down in 2022.
2022. The outlier. Stafford was injured, Kupp was injured, Woods was gone and the O line was a shambles and so the season was a waste. Target share? TE, WR, WR, WR, WR
Higbee 108, Kupp 98, Skowronek 61, ARobinson 52, Jefferson 44.
2023 is when a shift started to occur. Puka arrived, Akers departed and Kyren showed up. Target share. WR, WR, TE, WR, RB. This was the year they drafted Davis Allen as TE2.
Puka 160, Kupp 95, Higbee 70, Tutu 67, Kyren 48 (first time since 2018 a RB has finished in the top 5).
2024 with Higbee absent from the lineup and Parkinson the new TE, again the targets shifted towards WR heavy. WR, WR, WR, WR, TE.
Puka 106, Kupp 100, DRob 64, Tutu 62, Parkinson 49. Kyren again had 40, a figure that would increase in 2025.
2025 with Kupp gone and the necessity of using 13P due to injuries, the targets shirted and the TEs and RB were more involved. WR, WR, TE, RB, TE
Puka 166, Adams 114, Parkinson 56, Kyren 50, Higbee 36 (for good measure the next two were TEs...Allen 33 and Ferguson 25)
We seem to be worried about WR 3 and it might be a moot point. With a stable of TEs, two dynamic WRs, a RB getting more targets in the passing game, the need for a #3 WR doesn't seem as important. However, a stable of capable guys like Whittington, Konata, X and Daniels can give the top 2 a blow when needed and keep defenses guessing. It wouldn't hurt to get Corum more involved in the passing game.....if only he can work on his hands. I saw a few bounce off them and at least 1 get picked as a result. I wonder what Hunter's receiving skills amount to? But it could be having a couple of quality WRs (Puka, Adams), a couple of quality TEs (Parkinson/Higbee, Ferguson) and a quality RB in the receiving game is in fact the best McVay offense.
