Sean McVay says Gerald Everett has 'stood out' in OTAs
Cameron DaSilva
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
The Los Angeles Rams didn’t get a ton out of their tight ends last season with Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett only catching a combined 41 passes. On an offense that featured so many playmakers, it’s easy to see how the tight ends might get a bit lost in the shuffle.
That’s not to say Sean McVay will phase tight ends out of the offense, of course. While he was with the Redskins, that was one of the most important positions with the likes of Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed playing at an extremely high level.
Entering Year 2 in Los Angeles, McVay is excited about the group of players he has at tight end, namely Everett.
“We’ve got a deep receiving group, but I also think we’ve got a deep tight end group,” McVay said this week. “Shane [Waldron] has done a great job developing those guys. Gerald Everett’s been one of the guys that’s stood out really throughout the offseason program so far in terms of getting better. You see the overall athleticism, he’s getting better with the attention to detail.”
Transitioning from college to the pros at tight end is one of the most difficult positions to do that at, which is why many players don’t have immediate success. Everett made the most of his opportunities as a rookie with a whopping 15.3 yards per catch, but he only had 16 receptions.
Tyler Higbee was the primary tight end for McVay, but expect to see them on the field plenty next season. The same goes for Temarrick Hemingway, who missed all of 2017 with a broken leg.
“Tyler Higbee came back, kind of hitting his stride where he left off and I thought he got better being an all-purpose player for us where he’s able to play on first, second and third down and be productive both in the run and pass game,” McVay said. “Getting Temarrick Heming way off of that injury, he looks healthy. So, it’s a good group and we expect those guys to continue to push each other.”
Hemingway is a particularly intriguing player. At 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, he has the sheer size and length to be a No. 1 tight end both as a receiver and blocker. McVay didn’t get a chance to use him at all in the regular season last year, but he expanded on his potential role this week.
“When you just look at Temarrick, he’s what they’re supposed to look like,” McVay said. “Great size, great length. He can truly play that Y position, but he’s also athletic enough to move around in kind of that ‘F’ role we identify on our offense. But I think he’s able to play inline, he can reach Sam linebackers, he can protect in some of the play-actions and different things. But then he’s also a viable receiving option, so I think in an ideal world, he is your Y tight end, but that’s not exclusive to him being able to move around just based on the athleticism, and so far he’s demonstrated that.”
It has yet to be determined how much each player will see the field in 2018, but one thing is clear: McVay really likes this tight end group. There’s good variety with each guy’s size, athleticism and blocking ability, which gives McVay plenty of options.
