Tight end Parkinson excited to return home
It was just a formality, but one that Colby Parkinson's family could not miss.
As the free agent tight end sat down at the Rams facility, putting pen to the new threeyear contract he agreed to with his hometown team, Parkinson's father and mother stood in front of the table. While his mother took pictures, his father held up his phone with Parkinson's wife, Melanie, on FaceTime to witness the event virtually during the third trimester of her pregnancy.
After three years at Stanford and four with the Seattle Seahawks, Parkinson, the former Oaks Christian standout, is back in Los Angeles.
“My dad's in the background throwing his hands up right now,” Parkinson said Thursday, beaming. “Just so excited and so thankful to come back home and be able to play in front of so many important people in my life, so many role models and ... also to have an influence in the community.”
Parkinson wasted little time to jump at the opportunity to return to his hometown, agreeing to terms with the Rams less than three hours into the NFL's legal tampering period on Monday.
Beyond the sentimental appeal, Parkinson has watched the Rams from afar for his entire career. Having played with NFC West rival Seattle, Parkinson watched a lot of Rams tape over the years while preparing for common opponents.
“Just seeing the way that (head coach Sean McVay) and the staff can work up different designs to attack, not just one part of the field, but they're working the seams, they're working those deep ins,” Parkinson said. “They're working the gap scheme a lot. The way they can do some different things with the single tight end, two tight end sets. It's been fun to watch.”
Parkinson arrives to fill a need that appeared rapidly at the end of the season. Longtime starting tight end Tyler Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in the Rams' playoff loss to the Detroit Lions. That injury required surgery, and the Rams expect to put Higbee on the physically unable to perform list when training camp rolls around.
With Brycen Hopkins also an unrestricted free agent, the Rams were left with several unproven options at the position, headlined by second-year player Davis Allen. Allen did well in his limited opportunities as a rookie, with nine receptions in the final five weeks of the regular season before making two catches against the Lions.
But Parkinson comes with four years of experience. He's made 57 catches in his career for 618 yards and four touchdowns. But he's made his living in run-blocking situations and should use his 6-foot-7, 251-pound frame well alongside the Rams' revamped offensive line.
His addition had Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley excited, calling Parkinson as soon as he was legally permitted to Wednesday at the start of the NFL calendar year.
But not excited as his two parents, proudly holding up their phones as he signed his contract to return home.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. » Xander Schauffele kept his head down and tried to post his best score Saturday in his bid to make up a fourshot deficit in The Players Championship, and he did better than that.
A bold shot from the pine straw led to one birdie. A 60-foot birdie putt gave him his first lead. And a superb up-and-down on the 18th gave him a 7-under 65 and allowed him to stay one shot ahead of U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark.
“At times in the past I'll get a bit ahead of myself and lose a little bit of confidence when I shouldn't,” Schauffele said. “Today I tried to stay in my own little box there.”
Clark had his head down for another reason. His sand wedge to an island green at the par-3 17th came up some 15 yards short of dry land and he stooped over in disbelief. Remarkably, he reloaded and hit the next one to 7 feet to escape with bogey.
“It's unfortunate on a hole that's so iconic and has a bunch of trouble to have kind of your worst swing of the day,” Clark said. “But yeah, I followed it with a great swing and a great putt. I'm in the final group tomorrow, which is huge.”
Schauffele had another bogeyfree round, this one impressive because he hit only two fairways on the back nine amid swirling wind, and was at 17-under 199.
Clark also saved par on the 18th for a 70 and will be in the final group, no longer in the lead but very much alive. He also was quick to find perspective on his bogey at the 17th, knowing it could have been far worse.
“I'm hoping that's a huge point in the tournament and we look back after tomorrow and look at that hole and say, `Hey, that was maybe the shot and the putt that meant it all,' ” Clark said.
For a short time on a balmy afternoon, it looked like The Players could turn into a two-man race between Clark and Schauffele. But there were enough birdies, bold shots and big rallies to suddenly make today filled with possibilities.
British Open champion Brian Harman made up ground on the front nine and then started the back nine with four birdies in five holes on his way to a 64. He was two shots back.
Maverick McNealy and former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick each had a 68 and were four shots behind.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world coping with a neck pain this week, kept alive his chances of being the first back-to-back winner in 50 years of The Players. He birdied his last three holes for a 68 that left him in range at five shots behind. He was joined by Sahith Theegala (67).
Xander Schauffele, above, erased Wyndham Clark's 4-shot lead to take a 1-stroke edge at The Players.