“He’s done that in spurts before but just now, having more opportunities, it’s really come out and shown.”Higbee said his recent production was a product of three-plus seasons spent maturing into the multifaceted role required of NFL tight ends.“I was too skinny to play tight end, too slow to play receiver is what everyone was saying,” he said.More From the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa is poised to be in camp amid speculation he wouldn’t report as he seeks a new contract.Six New England Patriots are not playing this season because of concerns about the coronavirus, but will the NFL’s COVID-19 strategy keep active players healthy?Rams’ Jalen Ramsey knows he has his hands full against Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper, who gave cornerback difficulties in Jaguars-Raiders matchup.Joe Kelly released the months of pent-up rage the Dodgers and their fans have been feeling ever since MLB found the Houston Astros cheated in 2017.The Chargers probably will start the season with veteran Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, but rookie Justin Herbert must be ready to play despite no preseason and less camp.In the Rams’ first 11 games, for example, Higbee did not play more than 49 snaps. The Case for Tyler Higbee But a midseason injury to Everett last year changed everything. I’m projecting an uptick of about 12 targets for Higbee, which is honestly a conservative estimate as he picked up an average of 11.2 targets during that large 5-week stretch to close the season – that would have been a 16-game pace of 179 targets, the second-highest mark in the NFL.During the last five games of last season, Higbee’s stretch as the number one tight end in fantasy coincided with a 16-game pace of 137 catches for 1,670 yards and 6.5 touchdowns. He’s averaged 3.3 receptions on 4.7 targets for 41.7 yards and 0.4 touchdowns per game over the course of his career, which projects to 52 catches, 667 yards and 6.4 touchdown over the course of a season, good for roughly top seven among tight ends last year.
Western Kentucky signed Higbee as a receiver, and he played for three head coaches — Willie Taggart, Bobby Petrino and Brohm — during five seasons in Bowling Green, Ky.A look at the biggest sports stories from 2019, including the Rams’ Super Bowl loss, horse racing deaths and Tyler Skaggs’ death.The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Higbee could play a large role again Sunday when the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. ESPN rank… https://t.co/gxsZjfG4zVCBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.Higbee secured nine of 11 targets for 104 yards in the Rams' 34-31 loss to the 49ers on Saturday.Despite the return to action of Gerald Everett (knee), Higbee still was the clear top option at tight end, outpacing his position mate by 10 targets. Rams coach Sean McVay said this offseason that he had "big plans" for Higbee, and there's no doubt that the burly behemoth's involvement should remain consistent in 2020, especially if the Rams can't find an obvious solution to their run game.