Tag: Gerald Everett

Gerald Everett expects bigger role for TEs with Rams ‘going to 12 personnel more’

Gerald Everett has his sights set on a big year in 2020.

Amid all the success the Rams offense has had under the guidance of Sean McVay in the last three years, the tight ends have gone somewhat overlooked. At least, that was the case until Tyler Higbee put together a historic December to complete a record-setting season by a tight end in franchise history.

That only happened because the Rams shifted away from 11 personnel a bit and utilized more two-tight end sets. That’s not to say 12 personnel (one running back, two receivers, two tight ends) became the norm, but it was used much more often at the end of the season than in the beginning.

That trend is expected to continue into this season with Higbee and Gerald Everett getting more opportunities. McVay and GM Les Snead have hinted at utilizing 12 personnel more, and on Tuesday, Everett confirmed that’s the plan in L.A. He expects himself and the other tight ends to have bigger roles on offense as a result.

“Definitely, with us going to 12 personnel more often. I like to think that we’d have more extended roles, but (when) game time come, we’ll all see,” he told reporters.

Both Higbee and Everett are athletic pass-catching tight ends. We’ve seen each player make significant impacts as receivers, which is the going trend in the NFL for tight ends.

Everett doesn’t view himself and the Rams’ other tight ends as just safety blankets for Jared Goff. he says they can be much more than that, attacking the seams and blocking on the edge.

“That and a lot more,” Everett replied. “I feel like we serve as more than just safety blankets, especially on this offensive team. We block, we run, whatever we’re asked to do, we’re going to do it to our best capabilities and we definitely take pride in that aspect, but just being at wherever we need to be for the team.”

Much of Everett’s production will be predicated on his playing time, which also hinges on Higbee’s involvement in the offense. There will be opportunities for both players to be on the field at the same time, but it’ll likely be Higbee with the starters when Los Angeles does use 11 personnel.

That being said, McVay still expects Everett to be involved and be a big part of the offense.

“Gerald knows he’s a big part of what we’re doing. He’s going to be a very important piece for us,” McVay said Tuesday when asked about Everett’s tweet referring to “waiting on a decision that’s already been made.” ”Waiting on anything is going to be a great season from Gerald Everett for the Rams. That’s what you can wait on. We’re very glad he’s here. He’s in a good place. He’s done a great job throughout camp. He’s versatility is a real winning edge for our football team and you’re going to see that this coming season.”

Everett is in the final year of his rookie contract, which means he’ll become a free agent in March if the Rams don’t sign him to an extension. His ceiling is still high as a young tight end, and this could finally be his breakout year that everyone’s been waiting on.

Tyler Higbee expects Gerald Everett to get plenty of targets this season

The Rams have two playmaking tight ends who they will certainly utilize this season.

When it comes to the Rams’ pass catchers, their wide receivers get most of the attention – and understandably so. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are one of the best tandems in the league, but the Rams’ tight ends deserve some praise, too.

Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are playmakers who can also block well along the line, giving the Rams plenty of options offensively. Jared Goff has no trouble spreading the ball around, and even with as many targets as he has, Higbee expects Everett to get his share of opportunities.

He told reporters Friday that he thinks Goff will find plenty of chances to get Everett the ball.

“Dude’s a playmaker. He can make plays. I expect the ball is going to get to him. Jared does a great job of spreading the ball around,” Higbee said. “He’s come along as a complete tight end in the blocking phase as well, pass-blocking game. He’s going to ball.”

Everett missed the end of last season with a leg injury, but he still managed to catch a career-high 37 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games – which was really only 11 games because he played four combined snaps in Weeks 16 and 17.

Higbee picked up the slack with 69 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns on the year, most of which came in the last five games of the season. The Rams plan to utilize more two-tight end sets in 2020, but the share of targets between Higbee and Everett will be worth watching as the season goes on.

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Gerald Everett is ‘maybe the best athlete’ Wes Phillips has coached

The Rams’ TEs coach is thrilled to have Gerald Everett back.

The tight end position is far more integral to NFL offenses nowadays, with players at that spot contributing not only as extra blockers on the ends of the line, but also as playmaking receivers. The Rams are fortunate to have two capable receivers in Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett on their tight end depth chart, giving Sean McVay options on offense.

Higbee emerged as a real threat last December, but Everett shouldn’t be forgotten in L.A. He’s still a playmaker with immense potential despite not having the breakout year so many have expected from him the last two seasons. Although he’s returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss time late last season, Everett’s arrow should be pointing up.

Rams tight ends coach Wes Phillips, son of Wade Phillips, heaped praise on Everett in an interview with the team’s official site, specifically highlighting his athleticism and toughness.

“He’s a smart player, he’s instinctive, but extremely explosive,” Phillips said. “One of the best athletes, maybe as far as raw, athletic talent – maybe the best athlete that I’ve coached. From a tight end standpoint, he can run. He’s great with the ball after the catch. The first guy never brings him down. He’s strong. He’s explosive, from that standpoint running, but what a lot of people don’t always realize either is that in the run game, that same explosion, it applies, and he’s a tough, tough, tough man.”

McVay and Les Snead have hinted at using more personnel groupings this season, getting the tight ends more involved on offense. Snead even mentioned “exotic personnel packages” as a way to get rookie Brycen Hopkins involved.

Higbee and Everett are both good blockers and give their tackles help on the edges, which keeps the playbook open for McVay. Don’t be surprised to see Higbee and Everett on the field much more often together this season than they were in years past.

Gerald Everett’s cryptic tweet has Rams fans worried about his future in L.A.

Gerald Everett said he’s “waiting on a decision that’s already been made.”

Gerald Everett was the first draft pick of the Sean McVay era in 2017, fitting perfectly for a coach with an extensive history of working with tight ends. However, now entering his fourth season, Everett has failed to take off and break out the way so many fans expected him to.

He’s certainly had bright spots and showed potential with the Rams, but he has yet to truly beat out Tyler Higbee as TE1 in Los Angeles. And after the team drafted Brycen Hopkins in the fourth round of this year’s draft, Everett’s future with the Rams beyond the 2020 season seems murky.

On Thursday night, Everett sent a cryptic tweet that has fans wondering whether he might be traded. He said he’s waiting on a decision that’s already been made, causing some to think that the Rams have decided to move on from the young tight end after adding Hopkins.

Here are some of the responses from fans, the majority of whom hope Everett isn’t actually on the move.

Many of them recognized Everett’s game-winning touchdown against the Chiefs in 2018 as a highlight of his Rams career thus far.

Of course, there’s a good chance this tweet doesn’t mean anything at all. Not every tweet from an NFL player is football-related, and it’s possible Everett is referring to something completely unrelated to his tenure with the Rams.

However, Everett does seem like a logical trade candidate for Los Angeles, given the emergence of Higbee last season and the arrival of Hopkins by way of the draft. Everett’s contract will expire after the 2020 season and given the Rams’ current cap commitments, it’s hard to see them re-signing him to a contract equal to the value of what some other teams could offer him.

Led by Tyler Higbee, Rams’ TEs ranked 5th in NFL

Pro Football Focus is high on the Rams’ tight ends entering 2020.

It’s amazing what one stretch of five games can do for the overall perception of a position group. After Tyler Higbee’s historic December in which he had four straight 100-yard games and five consecutive weeks with at least seven catches, the Rams’ tight end room looks significantly better than it did last November.

Higbee’s become a popular pick in fantasy drafts at tight end, while Gerald Everett remains a player with strong potential thanks to his skill set and receiving ability. Johnny Mundt and rookie Brycen Hopkins could prove to be quality reserve players, too, giving the Rams four solid tight ends to work with.

The combination of that depth and Higbee’s rising ceiling led Pro Football Focus to rank the Rams’ tight ends in the top five of the NFL. Their group is only behind the Buccaneers (4th), Eagles (3rd), Chiefs (2nd) and 49ers (1st).

All of those teams have at least one Pro Bowl tight end on their roster, which the Rams do not – yet. Los Angeles’ tight ends got it done with a group effort, racking up the fifth-most yards of any tight end group in the NFL (1,168).

Here’s what PFF wrote about Higbee and Everett, in particular.

Tyler Higbee broke out to produce the third-best receiving grade among tight ends (90.1) while catching over 80% of his targets and averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception. Gerald Everett finished with the ninth-best receiving grade (78.9), making the duo the only teammates to rank within the top 10. Everett is also one of the most elusive tight ends in the league, as he forced 13 missed tackles on just 37 receptions last season.

Higbee signed a contract extension out of nowhere last September, keeping him under contract for four more years. Though his performance was just average for the first three months of the season, his record-setting December was a great way to head into the offseason.

He finished the year with 69 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns, turning in the best season ever by a Rams tight end. Everett is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will probably be replaced by Hopkins in 2021, but he has a lot to play for this season before entering free agency.

This could be the year the Rams’ tight ends finally break through and earn a Pro Bowl bid.

How the Rams’ offense will change after trading Brandin Cooks

The Rams traded Brandin Cooks on Thursday, which indicates a philosophy change on offense.

For the last three years, the Los Angeles Rams have relied heavily on 11 personnel. The grouping consists of three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end on the field, spreading the defense out and forcing them to utilize more defensive backs.

In 2017 and 2018, the Rams took advantage of this by throwing it successfully out of 11 personnel, while Todd Gurley also gashed defenses against lighter boxes with fewer linebackers in the middle. That wasn’t the case last season, though, as the entire Rams offense struggled no matter what personnel grouping it was in.

At the end of the year, Los Angeles found some semblance of consistency – but not out of 11 personnel. Instead, Sean McVay called for much more 12 personnel, getting two tight ends (Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt) on the field more often. That may have been the start of a mentality shift in L.A., and part of the reason for Brandin Cooks being traded.

The Rams no longer have three proven wide receivers to lean on, even though Josh Reynolds has established himself as a quality No. 4 option. In turn, their offense is going to change and likely steer away from a heavy reliance on 11 personnel.

In 2017, with Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, the Rams led the NFL in 11 personnel usage at 80%. In 2018 when Cooks arrived, they used 11 personnel even more, leading the league again at 89%; the next-closest team used it only 77% of the time.

Last season, the Rams shifted away from it slightly, trotting 11 personnel out there 73% of the time, tied for third in the NFL. McVay realized that teams were catching onto his scheme and diversified, particularly late in the year with a more run-heavy approach. It’s very likely that game plan will carry over into the 2020 season.

Expect to see more plays with Higbee and Gerald Everett on the field together, which didn’t happen often last year or the previous two seasons. McVay said recently that he needs to get Everett more involved, and now the door is wide open for that to happen.

“Really, really excited about what Gerald Everett’s going to do,” McVay said Monday. “I think Tyler Higbee did a phenomenal job, but I think Gerald Everett’s a guy that I’ve got to do a better job of utilizing his skill set because he’s a difference-maker. But he’s got to get the opportunities and I think that starts with some of the things I know I can do a better job of.”

As comfortable as the Rams are with their wide receivers blocking on the edge, having two tight ends on the field – both of whom can line up anywhere – will help the running game. There was evidence of that last season against the Bears when the Rams used 12 personnel 34 times and vaulted Todd Gurley to his best game of the year.

A few weeks later in their dominant 28-12 win over the Seahawks, the Rams steered even further away from 11 personnel. Higbee played 97% of the snaps, and Mundt was out there for 72% of the plays. Cooks and Kupp only played 38% and 28%, respectively. According to Rich Hammond of The Athletic, they used 12 personnel 71% of the time, the most ever by McVay with the Rams.

This isn’t to say the Rams are going to use it that often next season, but they had four healthy wide receivers in that game against Seattle and still utilized their tight ends more than ever. With Woods and Kupp being the only starting wide receivers returning in 2020, it’ll be easy for McVay to get his tight ends more snaps.

The Rams want to get back to being a run-first team, which they certainly weren’t in 2019. General manager Les Snead has said it multiple times since the end of the season, most recently this week on a conference call with reporters.

“It’s up to all of us in the organization, all the way down to the players, to make sure that we do a better job in ’20 than we did in ’19 of running the ball, being more balanced so we can get back to more like who we were in ’18 and ’19 and in the back-half of ’19,” Snead said.

All indications point toward the Rams being more focused on running the ball, and they had a more success doing that at the end of 2019 with two tight ends on the field than they did earlier in the year. That’s not to ignore what Gurley did out of 11 personnel in 2017 and 2018, but McVay and Snead have really put an emphasis on running the ball – and the trading of Cooks follows in line with that thinking.

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Sean McVay wants to get Gerald Everett more involved in Rams offense

McVay said he’s “really, really excited” about what Everett’s going to do in 2020.

Tyler Higbee just put together the best season ever by a Rams tight end, primarily thanks to a huge performance in the final five games of the 2019 campaign. He finished the year with 69 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns, firmly establishing himself as TE1 on the depth chart.

His breakout December seemed to justify the extension Los Angeles gave him last year, even causing speculation about Gerald Everett possibly being traded this offseason. That possibility is still on the table, but Sean McVay hasn’t soured on the young tight end who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal.

He’s excited about Everett entering the 2020 season and knows he has to get him more touches on offense.

“Really, really excited about what Gerald Everett’s going to do,” McVay said Monday. “I think Tyler Higbee did a phenomenal job, but I think Gerald Everett’s a guy that I’ve got to do a better job of utilizing his skill set because he’s a difference-maker. But he’s got to get the opportunities and I think that starts with some of the things I know I can do a better job of.”

It seems like Everett has been poised for a breakout year in each of the last three seasons, but it has yet to happen. As a former second-round pick, the potential and talent is there, but his opportunities have been limited.

Whether it’s been because of Higbee’s presence or the injury that Everett suffered late last season, his playing time has been hindered. He was having his best season as a pro in 2019 with 37 catches and 408 yards, but a knee injury caused him to miss three games and only play 21 total snaps in three others. So really, he played just 10 games, which makes his numbers look more respectable.

The Rams have a lot of mouths to feed on offense, tight ends included. Getting Everett a significant number of chances will be difficult, but it’s good to hear McVay will at least try to get him more involved.

That’ll likely come in the form of more two-tight end sets, which the Rams utilized more often at the end of last season with Higbee and Mundt. If that’s the case, Cooper Kupp’s and Brandin Cooks’ playing time could be limited – which is another factor to consider.

What does Rams’ interest in TEs mean for Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee?

The Rams are meeting with tight end prospects, which could spell bad news for Everett or Higbee.

Hints can always be taken based on which prospects teams are meeting with leading up to the NFL draft. For the Los Angeles Rams, two positions have stood out as somewhat surprising.

Not only did they meet with a handful of running backs at the combine last month, but they’re also showing a clear interest in tight ends. In recent months, they’ve met with several players at the position, both draft prospects and free agents.

The Rams reportedly discussed signing Jordan Reed, who was released by the Redskins this offseason after clearing the league’s concussion protocol. They met with Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins at the Senior Bowl before he put together an impressive performance at the combine. And just this week, they met with two more tight ends in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon’s Jacob Breeland and Oregon State’s Noah Togiai.

It’s obvious the Rams are interested in adding reinforcements to the tight end room, even if not for a high cost in free agency or early in the draft. So what does this all mean for their current group of tight ends? That’s a good question.

Tyler Higbee finished the 2019 season with a stunningly productive stretch of five games, topping 100 yards in four of them. In total, Higbee caught 69 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Gerald Everett ended the year in a very different way. After injuring his knee in Week 11 against the Ravens, Everett didn’t catch a pass the rest of the season. He missed three games and played just four offensive snaps in the final two weeks as the Rams kept him on the sidelines. His final tally? In 13 games, he caught 37 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns.

Higbee and Everett entered the 2020 offseason in polar opposite ways. Higbee finished on a high note, while Everett’s 2019 season couldn’t have ended much worse. Higbee just signed a four-year extension in September, while Everett has just one year left on his rookie deal.

On the surface, the Rams’ interest in tight ends would seem to put Everett’s future with the team in jeopardy. He’s younger, has a more intriguing skill set and is entering the final year of his contract. And given the way the Rams handled the position at the end of the 2019 season, it’s clear they feel good about Higbee.

But if the Rams are determined to free up cap space, there’s no mistaking which players offers more potential savings by being cut or traded.

If the Rams trade Higbee, they’ll save $6.2 million in cap space this year. If they deal Everett, the savings will only be $1.3 million. The Rams would save the same amount by cutting Everett, but releasing Higbee would only save them $200,000; that’s not really an option.

Could it be possible that the Rams featured Higbee so heavily late in the year to drive up his trade value? Two years ago, the were reportedly trying to get a sixth-rounder for him. Surely, the price has gone up after his breakout season. The Rams could probably get a fifth-rounder for Higbee now, if not a fourth.

As for Everett’s trade value, it’s difficult to gauge. He’s younger and a former second-round pick, but a team will only be getting one season out of him if he doesn’t sign an extension.

The Rams’ interest in tight ends doesn’t mean either player will be traded or cut. It could just be them doing their due diligence ahead of the draft in the event that one of their targets slides on Day 3.

But it’d be silly to ignore their interest in the position, given the number of players they’ve looked at.

How were 8 tight ends drafted before George Kittle in 2017?

George Kittle was drafted in the fifth round out of Iowa by the 49ers in 2017. He was the ninth tight end selected.

George Kittle has proven to be one of the great draft steals in many years. The San Francisco 49ers selected the tight end from Iowa in the fifth round, 146th overall, in 2017. Eight TEs were chosen before Kittle. How did that work out?

O.J. Howard (first, 19 overall)

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

O.J. Howard came out of Alabama to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a big rep and high hopes for the NFC South team. It has not materialized. Howard does have 12 TD catches — the same number as Kittle — but he has far less receptions, 94 for 1,456 yards.

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Rams Week 17 snap counts: Gerald Everett doesn’t see field in finale

Gerald Everett was a no-show in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals.

With Tyler Higbee’s emergence in the month of December, Gerald Everett has quickly fallen out of favor with the Rams. He returned from a knee injury last week against the Seahawks and only played four snaps.

In his second game back on Sunday, Everett wasn’t on the field for a single snap in the Rams’ 31-24 win. It wasn’t because the Rams leaned heavily on 11 personnel, either, because Johnny Mundt played 34 snaps.

It’s an interesting development, as it’s unclear if the Rams don’t see Everett as a factor or they simply wanted to avoid further injury in a meaningless game.

We’ll take a look at the complete list of snap counts from Sunday’s game, beginning with the offensive side of the ball.

Offense

Tyler Higbee only came off the field on three plays, once again proving to be one of Jared Goff’s favorite targets. He caught eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, continuing his hot streak in the month of December.

Sean McVay wanted to take it easy on Todd Gurley in the season finale, only playing him on 68% of the snaps. Malcolm Brown spelled him on 26 plays, carrying the ball nine times on those snaps.

Robert Woods once again led the way at WR with 78 snaps played, followed by Cooper Kupp (50), Brandin Cooks (49) and Josh Reynolds (38). The Rams wanted to get all four receivers involved, but Reynolds didn’t record a catch and Cooks only had three catches for 40 yards.

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