Gerald Everett

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/24

Today’s minor transactions to wrap up this final weekend before training camps begin:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/24

Here are Friday’s minor transactions:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

  • Placed on active/NFI list: LB Jontrey Hunter
  • Placed on active/PUP list: RB Terrell Jennings

Seattle Seahawks

Brooks’ appearance on this list doesn’t come as much of a shock. After suffering a torn ACL as a Longhorn last November, he is not going to be cleared for the start of camp, though he can be activated at any time. His injury is considered a “non-football injury” because it occurred before his NFL career began, otherwise he would’ve been on the PUP. Wonnum’s presence on the PUP was also not a surprise as he deals with complications from his offseason quadriceps surgery.

Everett’s appearance, on the other hand, is a bit of a surprise. To date, no injuries have been reported this offseason on the veteran tight end, leaving a bit of a mystery as to the cause of his unavailability.

Williams, who was placed on the NFI list yesterday, lasted one day before passing his physical and getting activated off the injured list. As can tend to be the case, some situations this early can be more precautionary than a tell of something more serious.

Bears To Sign TE Gerald Everett

As the Bears assemble what will almost certainly be their first Caleb Williams-directed offense, they are adding a second tight end for the likely No. 1 pick to target. Gerald Everett will commit to Chicago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.

Everett has bounced around since his Rams rookie contract expired, but teams have continually sought the former second-round pick as a starter. The recent Chargers and Seahawks pass catcher will be in place behind Cole Kmet in Chicago.

Despite the Bears extending Kmet last year, they are devoting some notable funds to their complementary TE post. Everett’s deal is for two years and $12MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds the veteran will receive $6.1MM fully guaranteed. Kmet is signed to a four-year, $50MM extension.

The Bears lost Darnell Mooney to a big Falcons deal earlier today, and while the team is still determining its WR2 plan, it will soon carry a solid one-two TE punch.

Everett, 29, spent the past two seasons in Los Angeles — for the exact terms he signed for in Chicago (2/12) — and totaled 966 receiving yards and seven touchdowns working with Justin Herbert (and some lesser QBs to close last season). With Herbert at the controls throughout 2022, Everett tallied 58 catches for 555 yards.

This Chicago agreement will likely come about because of new OC Shane Waldron‘s history with the South Alabama alum. Waldron was with the Rams when the team drafted him, working as Everett’s position coach in 2017, and throughout his rookie-contract duration. Everett later followed Waldron to Seattle, playing one season there — Waldron’s first as Seahawks OC — in 2021. Set to be Chicago’s new play-caller, Waldron will have a pretty good idea of Everett’s strengths and weaknesses in the scheme the veteran assistant will implement.

Chargers To Sign Gerald Everett

The Chargers have added another piece to their offense. The team is signing tight end Gerald Everett, as first reported by his agency and ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that the veteran is getting a two-year, $12MM contract. 

Rapoport further details that the deal includes $8MM in guarantees, and can reach a maximum value of $13.5MM. The move marks a return to Los Angeles, as Everett was drafted by the Rams in 2017. He spent four seasons there, making incremental progress in terms of production each year.

Everett’s consistency earned him another deal in the NFC West. He inked a one-year, $6MM contract with the Seahawks last offseason. He responded by posting career highs in receptions (48), yards (478) and touchdowns (four). That made him a useful secondary piece to the Seahawks’ passing game, and earned him a similarly-valued pact that’s twice as long.

With Everett in place, he will take over from Jared Cook, who posted almost identical numbers to Everett in his lone season with the Chargers last year. While Everett will be slightly more expensive, he should fit in as an effective compliment to wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in Los Angeles’ highly productive passing attack.

Seahawks TE Gerald Everett Lands On Reserve/COVID-19 List

The Seahawks are likely to be without Gerald Everett for at least Week 4. The veteran tight end tested positive for COVID-19 and landed on Seattle’s coronavirus list, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets.

Everett being fully vaccinated would allow him to return if he tests negative twice 24 hours apart. If the fifth-year tight end is not vaccinated, he is subject to 2020 protocols and is certain to miss Sunday’s game and perhaps Week 5 as well. Either way, the Seahawks are likely to be without their recently signed starter Sunday.

Seattle gave Everett a two-year, $6MM deal this offseason, bringing him over after hiring Rams assistant Shane Waldron as OC. Everett has started the season slowly, but he did haul in five passes for 54 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 3 loss to the Vikings.

The team has Will Dissly in place to pick up the slack. The injury-prone pass catcher has played 38% of the Seahawks’ offensive snaps through three games and has four receptions. Seattle also designated second-year tight end Colby Parkinson for return Wednesday and recently signed ex-Packer Jace Sternberger to its practice squad. Parkinson suffered a foot fracture for the second straight summer and has been on the mend since. The Seahawks have 21 days to bump him up to their active roster.

NFC West Notes: Fitzgerald, Stafford, Everett

When the Cardinals signed A.J. Green last month, all eyes turned to Larry Fitzgerald and his place on the team. Although the legendary receiver hasn’t made his intentions known just yet, it appears he’s headed in the direction of hanging up his cleats. “Execs anticipate” that Fitzgerald, who is unsigned for 2021, is going to retire, Mike Sando of The Athletic writes. This stops short of being a full-on report, but it certainly sounds like that’s the way things are trending.

With Green now in the fold alongside the returning DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk, the Cardinals’ receiving room would be pretty crowded if Fitz wanted to give it one last go. The surefire future Hall of Famer played in 13 games for Arizona last year, racking up 54 catches for 409 yards and a touchdown. It was easily the lowest output of his decorated 17-year career. We should know more soon, but unfortunately it seems likely we’ve seen the Pittsburgh product play his final down.

Here’s more from around the NFC West on a quiet Sunday afternoon:

  • Matthew Stafford was banged up a lot during his last season with the Lions, and he just had a procedure to address one of those lingering injuries. The new Rams quarterback had surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand last month, a source told Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Fortunately, Rodrigue reports it was just a simple cleanup and Stafford isn’t expected to miss any real practice time. Stafford said back in February that he had partially torn the UCL in his right thumb. Despite dealing with a slew of significant health issues, he didn’t miss a start last season.
  • The Seahawks signed away tight end Gerald Everett from the Rams in free agency, and it turns out a prior poaching played a large role in that. Seattle hired former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron to be their new OC after firing Brian Schottenheimer, and Waldron played a role in delivering Everett. “Shane is a mastermind,” Everett said, via John Boyle of the team’s official site. “He’s very creative, and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do in Seattle… When Shane went to Seattle, obviously the idea was there, it lingered in my head.” Everett was a second-round pick of Los Angeles in 2017, and although he never put up huge numbers in Rams offenses that had a lot of mouths to feed, he flashed a lot of potential. “Yes, he was a factor in my decision to come to Seattle,” Everett said of Waldron. The Seahawks gave him a one-year, $7MM deal in March.
  • In case you missed it, the 49ers are asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo.

Seahawks, TE Gerald Everett Agree To Deal

Gerald Everett will stay in the NFC West. The four-year Rams tight end agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal is worth $7MM, including $6MM guaranteed (per Rapoport on Twitter).

There were some high hopes for Everett when he was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, but he’s yet to put together a standout NFL season. 2020 was arguably a career year for the 26-year-old, but he still only finished with 41 receptions for 417 yards and one touchdown (plus the first rushing touchdown of his career).

It seemed clear that his stint with the Rams was coming to a close when the organization inked fellow tight end Tyler Higbee to an extension. Everett was also mentioned as a potential trade candidate towards the beginning of the 2020 season.

He will now join a Seahawks team that has been searching for tight end stability for a bit now. Seattle relied on the trio of Greg Olsen, Jacob Hollister, and Will Dissly in 2020, with that grouping combining for 73 receptions, 709 yards, and six touchdowns. Olsen has since announced his retirement, opening a spot on the depth chart.

 

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Golden, 49ers

For the second time in three years, K.J. Wright is a free agent. The longest-tenured Seahawks player has already signed three contracts with the franchise that drafted him. He is eager to ink a fourth.

I’m having fun; I love this city. I love this team, so let’s make it happen,” Wright said of a return to Seattle, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “… (A return is) up to Pete (Carroll) and John (Schneider). They know how much I mean to this team. They know I’m a great teammate, a great leader and it would be a great investment — in my opinion — if they invest in K.J. and to bring him back into the building. You get what you pay for, and I bring a lot to the table still.”

Wright, 31, does not sound interested in a hometown discount, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The Seahawks have paired Wright and Bobby Wagner for nine seasons and used both as sub-package linebackers for most of the 2020 slate. But Seattle drafting Jordyn Brooks in last year’s first round could complicate a Wright return. Pro Football Focus rated Wright as its No. 8 overall ‘backer this past season.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • The Seahawks were not planning to part ways with OC Brian Schottenheimer, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes an end-of-season meeting — in which Carroll reinforced his preference to focus on the run game — helped lead to the team changing play-callers. The Seahawks deviated in the season’s first half from Carroll’s run-centric vision but reverted more toward their usual setup down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how Seattle’s offense looks under new OC Shane Waldron, who spent five years in Washington and Los Angeles working under Sean McVay.
  • Markus Golden‘s sack total dropped from 10 in 2019 to 4.5 in 2020, and the Cardinals saw Haason Reddick complete a contract-year breakout. Still, the older Arizona edge rusher would like to return. “It gave me another shock of energy just being back home,” Golden said of the trade that sent him from the Giants to the Cards, via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “Being here where I know my heart is, it really matters to me to be in Arizona on the Cardinals.” Golden, who signed with the Giants in 2019 and stayed in New York via the rare UFA tender last year, is set for free agency for a third straight year.
  • Big expenses at the top of the Rams‘ payroll have forced the team to let several role players walk in recent offseasons. This year may be no exception. The Rams are unlikely to re-sign Josh Reynolds, Malcolm Brown or Gerald Everett, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Rams having drafted contributors at these positions in 2020, and having two wideouts (Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods) and a tight end (Tyler Higbee) signed long-term already, pointed this trio to free agency.
  • Jeff Wilson‘s one-year 49ers extension can max out at $3.6MM, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Wilson will receive $2.05MM fully guaranteed, with another possible $1.55MM available via incentives. The incentives would give Wilson a chance to out-earn the low-end RFA tender price, which OverTheCap projects at $2.24MM for running backs. He is still due to be a 2022 UFA.
  • Nick Mullens underwent elbow surgery last month, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This, however, was not a Tommy John operation, with Garafolo adding the 49ers backup’s injury was not as severe as initially feared. He is expected to be ready by training camp.

NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Gould, Reed

Speculating about Larry Fitzgerald‘s future has become something of a holiday tradition over the past few seasons. The surefire Hall-of-Famer did say earlier this year that if the Cardinals were to win Super Bowl LV, he would ride off into the sunset, but Arizona’s hopes for its first Lombardi Trophy suffered a major blow in an upset loss to the 49ers last night.

So will Fitz be back in 2021? As Rachel Gossen of ArizonaSports.com writes, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he believes Fitzgerald could play for another four seasons, but Fitzgerald himself was noncommittal.

“I haven’t really given it much thought to be honest with you,” he said. Though Fitzgerald did add that it will be nice to have fans back in the stands when it’s safe, Kingsbury downplayed the notion that Fitzgerald would return just to receive a proper sendoff from the Cardinals’ faithful.

As we wait to see whether one of the best receivers in NFL history will call it a career, and as the Cards focus on keeping their fading playoff hopes alive, let’s round up a few more notes from the NFC West:

  • The 49ers have a big decision to make on kicker Robbie Gould this week. Per the four-year extension Gould signed in 2019, San Francisco has until January 2 to pick up an option that would guarantee $2.25MM of Gould’s $4.5MM 2021 salary. Gould had hit 90.5% of his field goal attempts heading into last night’s matchup with Arizona, but he missed two FGA’s and a PAT in a 20-12 win that could have been more decisive. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the performance will not impact the team’s decision on Gould’s contract. “You got to look at the body of work, and Robbie has been unbelievable,” Shanahan said (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area).
  • Claimed off waivers from the division-rival 49ers in August, Seahawks CB D.J. Reed has been a great find for Seattle. In eight games (six starts), Reed has lined up both in the slot and outside the numbers and has accumulated 49 tackles, two interceptions, and six passes defensed while yielding a modest 77.9 passer rating as the nearest defender (via NFL Next Gen stats). Though the 5-9 Reed does not fit the mold of the big-bodied specimens that Seattle generally prefers at the outside corner positions, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com thinks his presence could make the club more amenable to moving on from contract-year players Quinton Dunbar and Shaquill Griffin. Reed will be entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2021.
  • As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic points out, the Rams would be about $26MM over the 2021 salary cap if the cap is decreased to $175MM as many expect. So while the club can certainly restructure the contracts of players like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to create space, it will also have tough decisions to make on pending free agents. Rodrigue posits that, if DC Brandon Staley gets hired as a head coach, he may try to bring safety John Johnson and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd with him, though Los Angeles will doubtlessly prioritize re-ups with both players. Meanwhile, Rodrigue sees players like WR Josh Reynolds and TE Gerald Everett signing elsewhere this offseason.

Rams’ Gerald Everett Drawing Trade Interest

Ahead of Gerald Everett‘s contract year, the Rams opted to extend Tyler Higbee. This leaves Everett as a player who could be bound for free agency in 2021.

Certain other teams appear to view the situation this way, with Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic noting the Rams have received calls on Everett’s availability (Twitter link). However, the Rams are not currently planning to move the former second-round pick, Rodrigue adds.

While Everett has not quite lived up to his Round 2 billing, he has worked in Sean McVay‘s system for three seasons and has served as an auxiliary contributor. Last season, he was enjoying a potential breakout year. But an injury halted his progress. Everett finished last season with 37 catches for 408 yards. The Rams used a fourth-round pick on Brycen Hopkins this year, but the pandemic taking away rookies’ onsite offseason work stands to limit their development.

The Rams appeared closer to trading Higbee in 2018, having exchanged offers with the Vikings on the 2016 draft pick. But after Higbee’s strong stretch to close last season, the Rams extended him instead. It would seem Everett will make a final audition reel for free agency this season.