Seahawks 2022 Free Agent Primer: Gerald Everett

Production-wise, Everett set career-highs across the board despite having a somewhat uneven first year in Seattle. Will the team prioritize bringing him back to continue building a connection with Russell Wilson?

After posting a disappointing 7-10 record to finish in last place in the NFC West during the 2021 season, the Seahawks made an earlier than expected transition into what will be a critical offseason for the future of the franchise.

When the new league year opens on March 16, Seattle will have 15 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Three players will be restricted free agents and 11 will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as receiver DK Metcalf will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.

Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2021 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2022.

Next up in the series, Gerald Everett may not have quite met expectations in his first year in Seattle. But did his performance late in the year earn him a new contract?

Season In Review

Traversing north from Los Angeles to Seattle along with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Everett turned in a quality first training camp with his new team and caught a touchdown in his Seahawks debut against the Colts in Week 1. Though he missed two games due to contracting COVID-19, he started all 15 of the team's other games and finished third on the team by setting career-bests in receptions (48), receiving yards (478), and touchdowns (four). He closed out the season on a strong note by catching 12 passes for 184 yards and averaging more than 15 yards per reception in the final four games.

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

As advertised, Everett brought the Seahawks much-needed toughness and after the catch capabilities in the passing game. Per Pro Football Focus, Everett finished ninth among tight ends with 50 or more targets averaging 5.2 yards after the catch per reception. They also credited him with 11 missed tackles forced, tied for sixth-most among tight ends. An explosive athlete capable of stretching the field along with breaking tackles in bunches, seven of his receptions went for at least 16 yards, including a 41-yard catch and run against the Steelers in Week 6. To his credit, Everett continued his steady progression as a blocker as well, receiving a respectable 63.5 overall blocking grade from PFF and scoring an excellent 76.5 in pass protection.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Throughout his NFL career, Everett has struggled to find consistency and this trend continued into his first season as a Seahawk. Despite having plus-athletic traits for his position, he posted five games with 15 or fewer receiving yards and six games with two or fewer receptions, disappearing far too often on offense. Concentration drops that plagued him earlier in his career with the Rams presented themselves once again, as he dropped a trio of passes in the final six games, including failing to bring in a touchdown pass from Wilson that resulted in a 49ers interception in the end zone in Week 13. He also put the ball on the ground a few times due to ball security woes, losing a pair of fumbles in that same game against San Francisco.

Ideal Contract

One year, $5.5 million

Prediction

When the Seahawks persuaded Everett to fly north with Waldron, his signing brought grandiose visions of him emerging as the dynamic complementary weapon to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett that the team has sorely lacked in the passing game in recent years. While he flashed such potential at times last season, as has often been the case in his five-year career, those sequences were followed up with a couple of quiet games. But there's no question his production took a hit in large part due to Wilson's injury and the star quarterback looked for the tight end more often in the second half of the season. With their growing rapport starting to bear fruit late in the year, Seattle would be wise to bring Everett back for another go around and he should fit into their budget thanks to a saturated tight end market.