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PFF Advises Jets to Sign This Tight End in Free Agency

Pro Football Focus suggests that the New York Jets sign veteran tight end Gerald Everett in free agency this offseason, upgrading the offense around Zach Wilson.

Max Goodman

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The Jets have plenty of options when it comes to their tight end room entering the 2022 season.

New York can address the position in the draft, picking a top-ranked prospect in April. Names like Trey McBride, Isaiah Likely and Jalen Wydermyer come to mind. 

Alternatively, general manager Joe Douglas and his squad could focus on signing a tight end in free agency, giving quarterback Zach Wilson a reliable target for the 2022 season and beyond.  

While several talented tight ends (like Mike Gesicki and Dalton Schultz) are set to enter free agency this offseason, Pro Football Focus is recommending that New York reaches an agreement with this veteran that has spent the last five years in the NFC West.

Allow PFF's Brad Spielberger to explain why the Jets should sign Gerald Everett:

The Jets effectively decided to punt on a few position groups for the 2021 season as they underwent a massive rebuild, and tight end was certainly one of them. New York did invest an early second-round pick in breakout wide receiver Elijah Moore and signed former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis to a three-year, $37.5 million contract in free agency. The final piece to the puzzle could be a reliable pass-catching tight end to provide quarterback Zach Wilson with a security blanket over the middle. 

Everett really started to turn things on in the second half of the season following the return of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, and he’s now gone over 400 receiving yards in three straight seasons. A former second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Everett would fit in Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s system and be an upgrade at tight end without breaking the bank.

Everett, a former second-rounder, began his career with the Rams. Over 61 games in a Rams uniform, the South Alabama product hauled in 127 passes for 1,389 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

READ: Dalton Schultz Shines in Cowboys' Playoff Loss; Should Jets Pounce in Free Agency?

Signing with the Seahawks this past offseason, Everett started slow with his new club. As Spielberger alluded to, however, the tight end jumped into another gear late in the season. Across the final nine weeks of the year, Everett racked up 343 of his career-high 478 receiving yards, working well with Russell Wilson. He finished the season with 48 receptions and four scores. 

To put that into perspective, New York's tight ends (Ryan Griffin, Tyler Kroft, Trevon Wesco and Kenny Yeboah) combined to compile just 495 receiving yards during this past season on 48 catches. New York can get that production from one player if they make the right decisions this offseason. 

PFF ranked Everett 63rd on their big board of free agents, the sixth-best tight end in this free agent class behind Gesicki, Schultz, Rob Gronkowski, David Njoku and Zach Ertz. In other words, he won't be the most expensive option on the market—he's expected to net a contract for three years and $22.5 million ($7.5M per year), per PFF.

That would allow Douglas to effectively use his team's cap space and bolster multiple other position groups in free agency, mixing in some trades while paying New York's top draft picks. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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