Gerald Everett is 'maybe the best athlete' Wes Phillips has coached

[jrry32]

Everett is gifted. Here's hoping he puts it all together.

 

[jrry32]

His hands are average in my estimation. It's hard to forget that pass that clanged off his hands against Seattle and cost us the game (after it was intercepted on the ricochet). Had he caught that, it would have gone for a nice gain and put us in a great position to win that game (which would have resulted in us making the playoffs).

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I'm hoping the light comes on and GE puts it all together this year. All the talent is there, we've seen flashes
of it many times.The threat of a two headed monster at the TE position would be huge.

I think these flashes we've seen from GE have made us all very encouraged of his potential,
so don't give me this "over the top" talk. I am the king of "over the top" @Elmgrovegnome
has already had to bring me back to earth on Van Jefferson. VJ hasn't even stepped on the
field and I was comparing him to Woods. SMH. lol.

I'd hate to see him go elsewhere and light it up but the light coming on for Higbee first is a bad sign for Everett. They'd have to have a crazy GSOT offense and a great 3 and out defense to find enough touches for Higbee, Woods, Kupp, Jefferson, a running back committee with 2-3 backs, and Gerald Everrett. That's not even considering the salary cap ramifications of he does have a great year. Signing Kupp, Ramsey and GE will be very difficult. Best case scenario may be he has a great year and the Rams get a third round comp pick when he signs elsewhere.

 

[Jacobarch]

I can see mcvay running a SF, Ravens, Rams hybrid system with 3 to 4 TEs and three active running backs. Even the rookie TE we drafted has some great hands and route running abilities. If he does it right it could prove to be a difficult offense to stop and help out our young Oline

 

[Jacobarch]

His hands are average in my estimation. It's hard to forget that pass that clanged off his hands against Seattle and cost us the game (after it was intercepted on the ricochet). Had he caught that, it would have gone for a nice gain and put us in a great position to win that game (which would have resulted in us making the playoffs).

I don't think he has average hands at all. He did tip one ball that cost us a game but other than that he's made some huge hard catches in his career. Remember the chiefs game? Game winning TD. That's all I needed to see from the kid to know he has it. I expect him to have a great season.

 

[lordbannon]

Sure. My point was just that I didn't agree at all with saying he had hands of stone. His hands aren't a huge strength, but neither are they a massive liability. And many times, just getting a better feel for the game can improve that.

 

[dieterbrock]

He's played in 45 reg season games, has only 1 100 yard game
only 7 of 45 games has he caught 4 or more passes
Catch rate of just over 60%, not terrible, not great
He's a decent 3rd/4th TE, right now he holds the #2 spot.
We'll see how it goes

 

[Snaz]

He's played in 45 reg season games, has only 1 100 yard game
only 7 of 45 games has he caught 4 or more passes
Catch rate of just over 60%, not terrible, not great
He's a decent 3rd/4th TE, right now he holds the #2 spot.
We'll see how it goes

Nothing screams dominant TE like Kittle or Higbee... but if the lightbulb goes on and Higbee continues... lookout

 

[So Ram]

Nothing screams dominant TE like Kittle or Higbee... but if the lightbulb goes on and Higbee continues... lookout

Think about the show me state & this last SuperBowl. That is were the best TE is !! TK
I’ll give give Kittle his due & is the better blocker. I always have stated Kittles 50yrd dash a the combine is one of the best I’ve ever seen. What explosion & it shows when he is blowing up DB’s in the open field T full speed.

Higbee came into his own , but Ram fans have always been saying the same things they are saying about Everett until he broke out in the second half.

I talked crap to Demoff & he got pissed at me a couple years back. Everett has had a hard time keeping healthy & Higbee used to drop everything in training camp.
He would be wide open by running a good route & go up strong. Have his hands in the right position,bring it in & drop the ball.

I’ll keep saying Higbee cost The Rams making the playoffs if you look at one play. Go to the 9er game at end of 3rd qrt . He dropped a ball when he was wide open. He got hurt early in the game I believe though. No excuse.

My point in all of this is yes Kittle is a stud. Higbee had a breakout season your right. Kielce is the Best catching TE in the game & Everett should have a breakout season & put up some solid numbers. How it plays out between Higbee & Everett is anyone’s guess ? Consistency is the KEY !!

Higbee is getting PAID !! Everett is wanting to & I see Como Picks & Hopkins growing into a good Ram TE.

Blanton is a big athletic guy guy. Not having preseason games hurts him. Then there is Johnny Mundt who has done well.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I can see mcvay running a SF, Ravens, Rams hybrid system with 3 to 4 TEs and three active running backs. Even the rookie TE we drafted has some great hands and route running abilities. If he does it right it could prove to be a difficult offense to stop and help out our young Oline

Those sets would take Kupp and Woods off the field. No way I’d like to see either replaced by Bryce Hopkins even on one play

 

[Zaphod]

Those sets would take Kupp and Woods off the field. No way I’d like to see either replaced by Bryce Hopkins even on one play

They may have to depending on how it goes with the offensive line.

 

[So Ram]

They may have to depending on how it goes with the offensive line.

Last season was a JOKE with Noteboom & Brian Allen !!!

Edwards & Corbett both have experience now !! Evans proved he can handle RT if needed. Austin Blythe is a veteran Super Bowl starter who is finally at his favorite postion.

Then you have Allen & Noteboom with some starting NFL experience from last season. So right off the start The Rams are better up front !!!

All The Ram Fans that want to complain should have been doing so when The Rams were 3-0. There was nothing to keep that balloon afloat.

Pop — now you have 2 young 22 year old 4th & 5th rd Offensive Lineman starting. You know Offensive Line is not a easy positions to learn.

Your right though. They are going to be held accountable,but salary cap wise & upside ?? I like there chances.

My question is who is going to be the backups ?? For some reason Kolone of all players might surprise ?? Demby could still be in the mix.

I saw a photo of Kolone & know he has had reps at Center from years past. He is a solid Lineman with limited skill set. He is slow, but if he has worked hard & the game has slowed down then just maybe you have a good backup lineman ???

Brewer is out for the year. Which is a good thing.

 

[Jacobarch]

Those sets would take Kupp and Woods off the field. No way I’d like to see either replaced by Bryce Hopkins even on one play

You missed the point but ok.

 

[Dodgersrf]

I dont know, when I hear a compliment of "great athlete", it kind of sounds like the "She's got a great personality"
I like Everett, and dont necessarily want him gone, I just could understand if he was let go or traded

"Raw, athletic talent" doesn't exactly sound like he's there yet.

I do like Everett, but he and Goff, just don't seem to be on the same page at times.

 

[Ram65]

It was just last offseason members were complaining about Higbee and his TD drops. He hadn't done much in the passing game before the last five games of the last year. I thought he made some nice catches before last year. Everett has too. It's all about targets. I rewatched the Atlanta game where he had a lot of targets. He ran good routes didn't slow down got open and Goff overthrew him a number of times. In the 3rd quarter, Goff finally lofted a pass down the sideline that was on the money to an open Everett for a big gain. Everett later in the drive scored on a short pass/screen and ran in for a TD. McVay had a tell that the Rams were going to pass when Everett came in the game at least before last year. As stated before McVay has to mix things up with more 12P. Everett is a solid 2nd TE that can be a mismatch when given more chances.

 

[dieterbrock]

It was just last offseason members were complaining about Higbee and his TD drops. He hadn't done much in the passing game before the last five games of the last year. I thought he made some nice catches before last year. Everett has too. It's all about targets. I rewatched the Atlanta game where he had a lot of targets. He ran good routes didn't slow down got open and Goff overthrew him a number of times. In the 3rd quarter, Goff finally lofted a pass down the sideline that was on the money to an open Everett for a big gain. Everett later in the drive scored on a short pass/screen and ran in for a TD. McVay had a tell that the Rams were going to pass when Everett came in the game at least before last year. As stated before McVay has to mix things up with more 12P. Everett is a solid 2nd TE that can be a mismatch when given more chances.

Big difference though. The Rams had already extended Higbee before last year. They were sold on him even before he had his coming out party. With Everett? All they did was draft his replacement

 

[Ram65]

Big difference though. The Rams had already extended Higbee before last year. They were sold on him even before he had his coming out party. With Everett? All they did was draft his replacement

That's about timing and economics not about Everett's play or abilities. The Rams don't always get re-signings right. They resigned Havenstein and let Saffold go and that hasn't worked out well so far. Had McVay not made a conscious effort to get Higbee involved in the passing offense we might be bashing the Higbee resigning. I'll post an interesting article on the Higbee resigning. The increase in TE targets is amazing.

 

[Ram65]

Recapping the development of Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee

How did Higbee suddenly flip the switch? Let’s take a look.

www.turfshowtimes.com

FILED UNDER:

• 2019 LOS ANGELES RAMS REGULAR SEASON
• 2020 LOS ANGELES RAMS OFFSEASON

Recapping the development of Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee
How did Higbee suddenly flip the switch? Let’s take a look.
By Sosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP Feb 5, 2020, 9:00 am CDT
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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The four-year $29m contract extension General Manager Les Snead handed to Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee was one of the more random and shocking extensions handed out over the course of the current regime.
Higbee — who had a very minimal impact through three seasons — was rewarded on the eve of the 2019 NFL Season, proving the Rams knew they had something in the former fourth-round pick that not many were aware of.
The tight end position is notoriously known to be one of the positions that requires a longer transition period from the college game to the professional level. Typically, tight ends are expected to breakout and reach their potential in their third or fourth season, as opposed to other positions that may reap their rewards at a much quicker pace.
Higbee’s 2019 season was his fourth season in the NFL and his age-26 season, meaning it was put-up or shut-up time. And, well, Higbee took his game from merely being on the field to being one of the most productive tight ends in football.
Let’s recap his season (stats from Pro Football Reference):
Weeks 1-11:
9 games, 27 targets, 21 receptions, 192 yards, 1 touchdown, 77.8% catch percentage, 7.11 yards-per-target

Weeks 12-17:
6 games, 62 targets, 48 receptions, 542 yards, 2 touchdowns, 77.4% catch percentage, 8.74 yards-per-target
Let’s take a look at some in-depth statistics (per Player Profiler):
Snap share:
66.6% (6.4% slot)

Targets:
89 (7th in league)
Target share:
15.9% (12th in league)
Completed air yards:
366 (12th in league)
Yards after catch:
368 (4th in league)
Red zone receptions:
14 (1st in league)
Yards per pass route:
2.80 (4th in league)
True catch rate (Total receptions divided by total catchable targets):
94.5% (3rd in league)
QB rating when targeted:
107.6 (18th in league)
As you can see from the boatload of stats I presented, Higbee managed to turn the page somewhere in the middle of the season, going from another middling/disappointing season, to becoming one of the best tight ends in the league. Not only was he featured and productive in his raw numbers, but he was incredibly efficient with his touches, he was productive at gaining extra yards post-catch, and he was an incredibly dependable security blanket for QB Jared Goff.

Why did it happen?

We can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but one thing to note is that Higbee — and the tight end position as a whole — hasn’t been featured in L.A. under Head Coach Sean McVay.
Here are the combined TE targets compared to passing attempts by year under McVay since joining the Rams:

2017: 518 pass attempts, 88 TE targets, 17.0% of attempts targeted to TE’s
2018: 561 pass attempts, 85 TE targets, 15.2% of attempts targeted to TE’s
2019: 632 pass attempts, 156 TE targets, 24.7% of attempts targeted to TE’s

As you can see, a major reason for the lackluster production from the tight end position stemmed from a lack of usage. Often times as viewers of the game, we fail to understand that opportunity is half the battle to producing. The usage of the tight ends nearly doubled in 2019 from the two prior seasons.

Why? Who knows.
There are a handful of potential reasons. From the running game struggling to produce, to the lack of time in the pocket for Goff to find wide receivers working the deeper parts of the field, the injury to WR Brandin Cooks opening some targets, and even the possibility of McVay simply feeling the need to expand his horizons and utilize more of the available weapons on his roster (similar to his work in Washington).
Projecting the usage among positional groups — and even players within those positions — is nearly impossible. The Rams are evidently loaded at every offensive skill position. The team has three receivers capable of 1,000-yard seasons, multiple talented running backs, and two tight ends that have been the source of big plays (particularly in 2019).
The conclusion is to not strictly judge players by basic statistics such as receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The more effective way to use statistics is to look at the efficiency of said players, and to compare how they perform within their role (be it large or small) to other players. It’s even feasible to attempt to extrapolate what a player might be in a larger role, though projection is a whole different animal.
When the Rams handed Higbee the questionable extension, many (including myself) fans and media members were confused and believed the decision would ultimately result in a regretful mistake. Yet, through one season, Higbee and the Rams have proven to be one step ahead of the game with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper reaching the open market this free agency period, and talented youngsters like O.J. Howard, Evan Engram, and George Kittle slated for free agency in 2021.
So far, so good.

 

[dieterbrock]

That's about timing and economics not about Everett's play or abilities. The Rams don't always get re-signings right. They resigned Havenstein and let Saffold go and that hasn't worked out well so far. Had McVay not made a conscious effort to get Higbee involved in the passing offense we might be bashing the Higbee resigning. I'll post an interesting article on the Higbee resigning. The increase in TE targets is amazing.

It doesn’t change the fact that they chose to re-sign Higbee. They felt he was worth the investment.
This isn’t about Monday morning QBing about other contracts. It’s about commitment.
They showed it with Higbee, who wasn’t even drafted by McVay