Presence of 'Mastermind' Shane Waldron, Russell Wilson Paved Gerald Everett's Road to Seahawks

SEATTLE, WA - Though the start of free agency remained more than six weeks away and Super Bowl LV had yet to be played in late January, impending free agent Gerald Everett already had a strong intuition where he planned to play in 2021.

In a significant move impacting the NFC West landscape, one of Everett's strongest supporters - long-time Rams assistant Shane Waldron - agreed to become the Seahawks new offensive coordinator on January 29. Upon learning the news, the fifth-year tight end began plotting the possibility of making the jump from one bitter division rival to another with his former position coach.

"When Shane first went to Seattle, the idea was obviously always there and it lingered in my head," Everett said speaking with reporters on Thursday.

While Everett indicated other factors such as the presence of Russell Wilson and a winning culture established by coach Pete Carroll helped tip the scales, the lure of linking back up with Waldron ultimately carried the most weight in his decision-making process. After carefully considering numerous offers, with some offering a bit more money, he agreed to terms with the Seahawks on one-year, $6 million contract.

"Shane has definitely been pivotal in my career and definitely been a mentor and a coach," Everett remarked. "He's definitely shown me the ropes and we've had that tight-knit relationship since I got in [the league] and it still remains obviously."

Selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of South Alabama, Everett formed an immediate connection with Waldron, who served as the Rams' tight end coach during his rookie season. Over the past three years, the two have remained close while Waldron earned a promotion to passing game coordinator and spent one season as a quarterbacks coach.

During that span, despite being overshadowed by starter Tyler Higbee and standout receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods at times, Everett gradually improved his receiving production each season. In 2020, though he only scored a single touchdown, he established new career-highs in receptions (41) and receiving yardage (417) while helping the Rams advance to the Divisional Round.

Now taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, Everett believes the Seahawks are bringing a dynamic, all-around playmaker to the mix who hasn't come close to scratching the surface of his potential.

Since entering the league, Everett has added new wrinkles to his game each season such as running jet sweeps and catching screen passes. He's also made strides as a blocker, an area that was foreign to him coming out of the college ranks. Though he doesn't know what the next stage in his development looks like, he expects continued growth and a few surprises in his first season in Seattle.

“I really don't know what that looks like, me taking the next step, because I really don't think I have a ceiling honestly," Everett stated.

Set to turn 27 years old in June, Everett's confidence stems in part from hooking back up with an offensive "mastermind" in Waldron, who will know how to best utilize his versatility and skill set from their extensive time together in Los Angeles.

Along with playing in-line, Everett can line up as a receiver in the slot or out wide as well as play in the backfield as a fullback, offering immense positional flexibility Waldron will certainly take advantage of. Additionally, he proved dangerous with the ball in his hands in the short-to-intermediate passing game, as illustrated by his 5.6 yards after the catch per reception average last season, which ranked fourth among qualified tight ends per Pro Football Focus.

In the middle of his prime, the uber-athletic Everett also stands to benefit from playing with a superior quarterback in Wilson, who threw a career-high 40 touchdown passes in 2020 and could help unlock his untapped potential as a vertical threat alongside star receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. He's the type of complementary weapon the team lacked as the offense stumbled down the stretch late in the second half of the 2020 season.

Taking a subtle shot at former Rams starter Jared Goff in the process, Everett explained how Wilson being under center was another decisive factor in his choice to join the Seahawks in free agency.

"I wasn't able to play with a quarterback like Russ to this point in my career," Everett commented. "I've had a different quarterback each place I've been, so to be able to play with a guy of Russell's caliber is really exciting to me."

Despite OTAs being unlikely to take place again this offseason due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Everett has already been coordinating workouts with Wilson in San Diego to begin building a rapport for the upcoming season. He's also be in touch with Metcalf, Lockett, and other receivers aiming to develop chemistry and camaraderie before they get on the field together.

While trying to grasp a new playbook without on-field practice time presents a unique challenge, Everett isn't concerned about his new teammates adapting as needed and he expects everyone will be ready to go come August. Confident in Waldron calling the shots, he's prepared to add an element of surprise to an already potent passing attack led by Wilson and looking forward to winning a lot of games sporting blue and green while playing in front of the rabid 12s.

“I'm just a complete, dynamic playmaker,” Everett said. “Doing whatever I need to do in the run game, the pass game, just be whatever player I need to be for Seattle to help us win as many games as possible. I definitely want to be an asset and not a liability so I just think that I need to bring my full game and a good head to work every day, and just put my head down and see what happens.”