One of the consistent storylines throughout the offseason program was how much progress tight end Gerald Everett appeared to be making heading into his third season as a pro. During OTAs, it seemed the South Alabama product made an impressive catch or two each day, demonstrating his value to an already productive offense.
But passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shane Waldron — who coached Los Angeles' tight ends in 2017 and 2018 — has noticed progress from Tyler Higbee, too.
And if both Higbee and Everett can take steps forward in 2019, that will give the Rams a significant offensive boost. Over the last two years, Los Angeles' tight ends have accounted for an average of 53.5 receptions for 613.5 yards and four touchdowns as a whole — and that's for a team that has finished within the top two in points scored in that same time span.
So increasing the production from Higbee and Everett could pay big dividends. And how did those two players look during the offseason program?
"I think Higbee since day one has had that steady improving of his game overall as a tight end that can do everything," Waldron said during minicamp. "And then Gerald, like any young player, had his rookie year last year and had some times where he really shined once he overcame his early setback with an injury. Just like similar to Josh [Reynolds] and other guys that now we are talking about getting into year two, year three, some into year four, where they've really started to master the overall system and it's great to have those tools at your disposal, so that whatever that matchup is that presents itself, you can maximize the individual skill set within those matchups."
For Los Angeles, that could mean more targets to tight ends down in the red zone, where the club has finished middle of the pack over the last couple years. We'll see how the targets and receptions are distributed during training camp, which could give a good indication of how things might go once the regular season hits.
