2017-Present - McVay's run

Gerald Everett is a truly important piece of the puzzle

Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports photographer.

One has to wonder what the Los Angeles Rams intentions are with Gerald Everett. If you ask me, the only intention should be to leave things in the status quo. Sure Tyler Higbee has become the prototypical tight end made famous by the mold designed by Rob Gronkowski and later George Kittle. Truly there is nothing wrong with having two great TEs on a team, especially a team that needs to establish a running game each time out on the field in order for the passing game to be effective. Before Higbee, remember Everett had decent hands too and mashed would be tacklers on his way to important gains. Anybody remember the Kansas City game on Monday Night Football?

At 6-3, 240 pounds, Everett presents the Rams with familiarity of an explosive offense, soft hands and great downfield blocking for running backs and receivers alike. Over the last two years he has caught 70 passes for 728 yards, a 10.28 yards per catch and five TDs. Couple that with Higbee’s own performances (93 catches, 1023 yards, and five TDs) you have unintentionally created a two-headed monster. They would rival any one TE in the league.

Here is probably the single-most important factor to keep the status quo: injuries!

Football is the most devious creature known to athletes. On any given play, hit, tackle, block or unfortunate turn or twist of a knee or ankle and that player is doomed for a week, weeks or even a season. Now add COVID-19 to the mix and you might see a football player out for four weeks; two to recover and two to get back in shape.

Why not have another dependable TE in your midst? Why trust your offense with an unknown entity, a heralded rookie? Especially, when you play in the NFC West, where three losses in the division would kill your chances for the playoffs.

To be fair, we haven’t seen what Brycen Hopkins will bring to the team as the 136th pick of this year’s NFL Draft. I am not selling him short either. But fans of the team who want to see wins and those who know that experience wins games, can’t expect Hopkins to be the savior in the event of injury or illness.

So you ask yourself, why is this even coming up? Everett didn’t help the situation out any when he tweeted a thought provoking comment late in the evening of July 16.

No one at this point knows what that tweet meant, but it certainly peaked our interest here at Rams Talk. Lord knows not everything you read on Twitter has a meaning to anyone but the writer. He could have been talking about when training camp was going to start, and how was it going to be handled.

Addressing the elephant in the room, and not just thinking the Rams are just as smart as I am, I have to think the worst scenario too.

The Rams could be in the market for draft choices. First, Everett is in his walk year. Second, he was a second round pick for the Rams three years ago and has largely been ignored by Jared Goff because of the stable of wide receivers the team has possessed in those same years. Third, Higbee did just sign an extension to his contract.

So if a trade is inevitable, then I say the team should get no worse than a third-round choice for Everett, I’d want a second because Everett can play football, and he is really that good!

Ridding themselves of a talent like this, in my humble opinion, would be treacherous and foolish in these trying times of football.

Stand pat Rams! Everett is a highly valuable asset. You don’t want him beating you with another team. At least not yet

Sources: Twitter.com

You can follow Bob Smith on Twitter @amoresports. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.

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