The Los Angeles Rams announced that they have officially re-signed tight end Johnny Mundt to a one-year contract.
The Oregon product signed with the Rams after going undrafted back in 2017. He has since etched out an integral role for himself on special teams while providing some quality depth at the tight end position.
Mundt registered a career-high four receptions for 53 yards on 121 snaps offensive snaps in 2020. He will also be providing some major continuity on special teams after logging in 266 snaps.
Despite his minimal contributions on offense, the Rams have made concerted efforts in order to keep Mundt around through the years. They signed him to a reserve/future contract before he re-signed on a one-year exclusive-rights free agent contract last offseason.
L.A. was dealt a critical blow to their tight end corps with Gerald Everett signing a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Given Everett’s role as a viable option in the passing game, his departure will not have much of an impact on Mundt moving forward.
The onus will likely fall on tight ends Tyler Higbee and Bryan Hopkins to pick up the slack in the passing game now that the trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford has officially gone through. Regardless, Mundt is still slated to serve as a solid contingency option in the event of an injury while maintaining his status as a go-to run-blocker.
The Rams have high hopes for a potential resurgence on offense in the 2021 NFL season. Although they managed to re-establish their emphasis on the ground game, head coach Sean McVay is looking for more explosive plays from this group next year.
General manager Les Snead has already managed to get L.A. back under the salary cap after facing the largest deficit of any team to begin the offseason. It will be interesting to see if they are able to prevent any further turnover on both sides of the ball.