5 NFL Teams in potential market for LA Rams TE Gerald Everett

NFL Rumors link LA Rams in talks with TE Jordan Reed, so TE Gerald Everett could be placed on the trading block. Here are 5 teams in the TE market

The LA Rams are rumored to be in talks with oft-injured former Washington Redskins TE Jordan Reed. While many readers don’t follow the logic nor the need to add him to the Rams already crowded tight end position, the Rams are crazy like a fox on this one.

The 2020 NFL Draft is deep on wide receivers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs.  While the draft holds plenty of tight ends with great day two grades (projecting at either the second or third round of the 2020 NFL Draft), there is no standout at the position in this draft. The 2020 top tight-end 40-yard dash times began at Albert Okwuegbunam with 4.49 followed by Brycen Hopkins and Stephen Sullivan tying at 4.66.

For comparison purposes, the LA Rams current tight end Gerald Everett posted a respectable 4.62 in the 40-yard dash and considered that time rather pedestrian. As of today, there is most definitely a market for NFL veteran tight-ends, particularly those with little wear and tear on their treads, and with a penchant for contributing to an offense in a variety of ways. The Rams boast a pair of that type, Everett and TE Tyler Higbee.

But much like the game of shuffleboard when a new puck is slid into the scoring zone, adding a veteran tight end like Jordan Reed means another player will likely be knocked aside. That player will likely not be Tyler Higbee, who finally had a break out season.

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The demand dictates the value of Everett, or any player the LA Rams put on the trading block. But what is the value to the LA Rams of an injury-ridiculed tight end? For starters, Jordan Reed entered the NFL in 2013. That makes him a veteran of seven years in the NFL. And of the seven seasons playing in the NFL, he’s averaged just a third of the offensive snaps. With 2019 a complete loss due to injured reserve, Reed has performed in six NFL seasons. Even with his injuries, and modest usage, he’s averaged 550 yards, four touchdowns, and 31 first downs per season.

Uninjured, fresh legged tight end Gerald Everett is averaging 330 yards, two touchdowns, and 15 first downs per season. From a front office and coaching perspective, why not give Reed a cheap prove-it chance to redeem himself in the NFL?

Is this the reason behind TE Gerald Everett’s cryptic tweet?

This appears to be moving along very rapidly. Folks, I get it on the concerns over injuries. But Jordan Reed truly can play at an elite level, such an elite level that just one good season will have fans forgetting about their concerns and applauding this move as a stroke of genius.  And so far, Everett simply has failed to deliver on his promising talent.  To a new offense, a new team, he would position as the 2nd best tight end available in 2020. What is that worth to an NFL team?

A team in need of a tight-end would use a first-round pick on the top prospect.  That likely places Everett in the price range of a second-round pick. But which team would be in the market? We can name five potential teams.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are still weighing out the 2020 return of veteran-once-retired TE Jason Witten. Now there is no argument whatsoever in the fact that Witten was once one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. Was is the operative word, though. He played on 75 percent of the offensive snaps,

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Despite the heavy usage, he put up just 529 yards and four touchdowns. And he did it on a one-year deal worth $4.25 million. Will he be back in 2020?  That’s still formally undecided. But the player wants to be the starter, and the production, cost, and declining performance in the eyes of a new coaching staff would make that hardly likely.  Witten won’t ride the pine, and new head coach Mike McCarthy won’t pay Witten a starter’s salary to watch him wither away on the field.

So Dallas is shopping. But as we’d stated, they are not likely to find “THE” guy in the 2020 NFL Draft.  Rams tight end Gerald Everett could most certainly be that guy. Doubling his 2019 production (ramping him up to Witten’s usage) would park him at 800 yards, four touchdowns, and 44 first downs. And his cost to the Cowboys would be one-fourth of the cost of Witten.  Here’s how the trade would likely look:

With picks 51 and 52, the Rams could load up on some incredible players to compete for starts and, at least, be serviceable backups. The Cowboys get a young veteran tight end who has good upside and will play very hard in his contract year.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals played both tight end Maxx Williams and Charles Clay for more than 1/3rd of the offensive snaps in 2019. They combined for just 33 receptions and just two touchdowns.  Complicating matters further, Clay is a 2020 free agent for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals need help at the tight end position desperately. So desperately that they’ll give their division rival good draft capital? I think yes. Of course, there are admittedly some who believe otherwise, and that’s perfectly acceptable.  I don’t think the LA Rams can pry away the Cardinals second-round pick at number 40, but the Cardinals could be sold on parting ways with both their third-round and fourth-round picks (72 and 104). According to the draft value chart, their combined value is the equivalent of a late second-round pick.

Why would they trade for Gerald Everett? Simply stated, his production exceeds the combination of both Williams and Clay.  He is a veteran NFL player, not a “let’s pick and hope for the best” type of NFL rookie. And he would arrive at the equivalent to a mid-day-two pick, which the Cardinals are already likely to be spending to fill the void.

In Gerald Everett, the Cardinals get a known commodity.  They get him for the cost of a late second-round pick. And they land the equivalent of the second-best tight end available in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Washington Redskins

Of course, one logical team for a new tight end would be the team which just cut a tight-end from the roster. Washington Redskins are under new head coach Ron Rivera, and you can bet he’s looking to remake the team’s offense into the second chapter of the Carolina Panthers.  To do that, he’ll need a dual-threat QB, a solid running game, a good pass-catching tight end, and enough talent at wide receiver to force defenses to cover the routes.

The Redskins cut Reed as a salary cap casualty, plain and simple. Behind him, they had next to nothing in terms of a receiving threat at tight end. Jeremy Sprinkle was next on the list, started 16 games, and put up 241 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Redskins may have a lot of needs, but the team has no tight end worth any focus by an opposing defense right now. And if the team is truly focused upon a potential franchise QB in the 2020 NFL Draft, he’ll need targets to throw the ball to. What would a trade look like?

Everett immediately gives the Redskins offense their second most dangerous receiver.  And the Redskins get an immediate impact player on offense and can spend salary cap dollars to re-sign offensive linemen. As close as both Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell are to the Redskins, the road goes both ways. Look for the Redskins to target Everett if he hit the trading block, particularly if the Redskins appear to aim at a quarterback in round one. If they draft a quarterback (entirely possible), look for Duane Haskins to go on the trading block afterward.

Carolina Panthers

Let’s double down on the “just cut a tight end” logic, and list the Carolina Panthers as another team in the market for a new tight end. Their offense is sound, with the running game led by star running back Christian McCaffrey and the passing game led by wide receiver DJ Moore.  But behind Moore and McCaffrey, the offense is a tad light on productive skill players. The only other player with solid numbers is WR Curtis Samuel, with 627 yards and six touchdowns.

The Panthers will have plenty of draft “oomph” sitting at picks number seven and 38, two valuable spots in this deep draft.  But they won’t want to waste either on a tight end and at 69, the Panthers are truly out of the impact tight end market.

The Rams could fix that situation for the Panthers, and for the value of a late second-round pick.

The Panthers would fill a huge hole in the offense and will be able to target more urgent needs in the 2020 NFL Draft. Everett would quickly become a consistent target for Panthers QB Kyle Allen. He brings blocking to the running game and a new and rather productive target to the passing game.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are most definitely shopping for help at the tight end position. The team is already reported hoping to sign TE Austin Hooper.  But even still, they would love to have the leverage to walk away in a bidding war, as the team is determined to add a pass-catching tight end in free agency. While the team is aiming at the top of the tight-end heap in Austin Hooper,

But realistically, Hooper will take a huge chunk out of the team’s salary cap funds. That could work out just fine, or it could lead to disaster if the team locks in a multi-year contract and the player underperforms or is injured.  That scenario is all too familiar to LA Rams fans, unfortunately.

Almost everyone recognizes the name, Jimmy Graham. He was the Packers’ primary weapon at the tight end in 2019.  And veteran tight end Mercedes Lewis was a distant second.  All of this is particularly surprising, in light of the fact that the Packers’ quarterback is Aaron Rodgers.  So the team must address the need this off-season.  The Packers pick late in each round. The first-round is too early to reach for tight end talent in this draft and late in second-round risks picking the fifth or sixth tight end from a mediocre class.

By trading for Rams Everett, the Packers ensure that they get an NFL ready talent with good upside, relatively low wear and tear, and a cheap price tag.

The Packers will have a year to audition Everett. If he plays well, the Packers can offer him a nice contract. If he doesn’t play up to expectation, the Packers simply shop once more.