Re-signing Avant Has to be a Priority
by rharris0127 on Dec 2, 2009 11:08 PM EST
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With Brent Celek and Winston Justice recently signed to long term deals (6 year, $33 million and 5 year $21.3 milllion respectively) the Eagles need to turn their attention to signing Jason Avant to a long term deal.
Avant was signed as a 4th round pick out of Michigan in 2006 to a 4 year rookie deal. In his Sr. season with Michigan, Avant had 82 catches for 1007 yards and 8 TD's. In minicamp, Avant suffered the misfortune of hyper-extending his knee, an injury that would later require surgery. Despite being out of action until August, Avant showed intelligence, toughness and grit that landed him a spot on an already receiver crowded roster.
Over his first few seasons in the league, Avant put up solid numbers:
2006: 8 games, 7 catches for 68 yards and 1 TD
2007: 15 games, 23 receptions for 267 yards and 2 TD
2008: 15 games, 32 catches for 377 and 2 TD
2009: 11 games (so far), 32 receptions 474 yards and 2 TD
While these numbers appear modest for a 4th year receiver, Avant has proved time and again that he can be relied on to make the tough catch in traffic, take a monster hit and hold onto the ball. In addition, Avant seems to have the field awareness that so many players (no names on this one, you know who you are) seem to lack... he knows where the first down is, he finds holes in the defense and he capitalizes on his opportunities. In addition, Avant is a team leader. Sheldon Brown is an Eagle I've respected a great deal and I believe he summed it up best when he said: "There's not a harder worker, a better teammate more deserving of anything he gets (than Avant). I've never seen a guy that brings so much to a football team. His leadership on that side of the ball that people don't see, words cannot express how important he is to this football team. I'd put him into a category with a guy like Dawkins." Stop and think about that statement.
Eagles front office, please sign this man to a contract extension and lock up our receiving corps for years to come.
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Agreed
I couldn’t agree more!
i think this team has two priorities before the end of the year..
We need extensions for both Avant and Weaver. These deals must get done before the end of the season is here!
Rob Wetmore
Leading Edge Martial Arts
www.leadingedgema.com
I wouldn't be surprised
If he was the next one to sign or if he signed in the next few weeks. The Eagles seem be dishing out the money a little and with the way Jason has shown up in the last 2-3 games he has to be at least being considered, if not now then later.
correct me if im wrong.....
but i think the only way we could sigh Avant while the season is still goin on would be if sum other contracts were re-structured. Beleive me i want Avant extended in the worst way, i dont want him hittin the market because sumbodys gonna give him an outrageous offer that we wont match. Sum of these freakin catches hes made the last couple weeks have been out of this world. The one-handed one in SD was just straight bananas. He definitely is a human highlight film waitin 2 happen. As for the Celek extension i couldnt be happier, you remember how big i was on him before the season started and everyone was worried about if we should go after another pass- catching TE. Granted his blocking can improve but he has stepped it up a notch. I have 2 be honest Mac, i liked Celek alot before the season started but i didnt think he would play so well that he was gonna get extended during the season.
Now i know this next Question is a lil off the subject but wat do u think the off season will bring at the LB position? Its obvious (at least 2 me) that the Joe Mays project isnt working and a one legged man could beat Gocong down the field so do we still try 2 go after Derrick Johnson or look into the draft? Oh and since your the LB guy who are sum decent LBs that we might look at in the 3d round and up??
Great to hear from ya GB
Unfortunately, you are right about the Avant thing and I didn’t realize that till earlier today. As for Celek, I didn’t disagree with you about him being great (even though I think he has far exceeded my and everyone else’s expectations) I was just worried about the depth behind him. Its still a little worry that I’ll have next year depending on what to do with Alex Smith and what comes of Ingram because I wish him the best. I never like to see someone’s career end with injury. But I’m confident the Eagles will take care of that when the time comes.
As for the question about the LBs yes I have been keeping my eyes open (you know better than anyone). I do scout more than just LBs but I digress. I could see us going after DJ since we addressed him prior to the trade for Will so it is something to watch for come the offseason. Remember however that Kirk also will be a free agent and barring a big contract is likely on his way out of Oakland. Other names include Clint Ingram and Antwan Barnes. Barnes has been pretty much a back up, but its hard to win a spot over Terrell Suggs or Ray Lewis. As for the second question: I have kept my eyes open on a lot of LBs. I think I have come to the realization that Rolando McClain is not going to fall to us unfortunately. However, his adversary, Brandon Spikes could fall maybe not to the 20’s but low enough to possible trade higher in the draft and get him. My 2nd favorite LB in the draft is Eric Norwood LOLB. He is the unsung leader of the SC defense and is a playmaker in everyway. Possibly the best pass rushing LB in the draft. He is a senior so he is definitely coming out. I heard someone on here tell me about Micah Johnson and I looked at him. He has great size as 6’2" 258 lbs. But his only problem is that he isn’t a playmaker. He will make a lot of tackles, but really hasn’t lived up to the hype. He might still be bothered by an ankle injury he suffered, but I don’t know. He is an athletic freak, just hasn’t done anything to separate himself from the pack. His teammate Sam Maxwell is kinda the opposite. He doesn’t get all the hype that Micah does since he just became a starter this year, but he could be the better player. Doesn’t have as many tackles, but in only one year has 5 INTs from the LB position! He is a guy to keep your eyes on. He has great size as will at 6’3" 248. Keep your eyes on Daryl Washington at TCU. He is another mid-round steal. He is arguably the fastest LB in the country. He has been hand-timed at a mid 4.4 40 yard dash. He is another playmaker. He might have to bump outside just to take advantage of his athleticism. He is about the same size as Witherspoon, but 2-3 inches taller. UNC has a pair of great LBs in Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant. Bruce is rising up draft boards and could be a first rounder, but I think Quan is a little better. Bruce is faster and a little more athletic, but they started going his way more after Quan had a monster year last year so I guess you could say they have been avoiding Quan and running right into the hands of Bruce. Travis Lewis at OU has been a pleasant surprise, but he is more built to be a weakside and I’m not sure if that is a point of emphasis. Still he is a tackling machine and hits like a truck. Rico McCoy at Tennessee is a senior coming out. He is a little small, has a nose for the ball and knows how to force it out. I think he has like 5 FF this year or something. Not the best in coverage however. Some may talk about Sean Weatherspoon. The guy is great don’t get me wrong. Probably the best LB in the Big 12, I just don’t expect him to really fall in the draft. If anything he is rising his stock up since he is the only consistent player on that Mizzou defense. In the big games he was the only one to show up. He has the size and athleticism to play all 3 positions. So don’t get your hopes up on him. Dekoda Watson of FSU isn’t bad, but he was asked to move around on the D too much so he didn’t put up gaudy stats. He is a hard nose player and gives everything he’s got. Might be a little to small though. I thought about making a post about this, but everyone seems to be in tense mode where they don’t want to think about the offseason, plus I got some hate from my last post so I’ll wait till way after the season to make another NCAA LB post that way so many people don’t talk down on it. Also, it depends on our offseason moves so….yeah. But that’s what I got so far
Micha Johnson???
Have you looked at him.. Hes fucking massive and blows people up… Hes pretty good in coverage and WILL keep up with just about any TE in the NFL.. He has a 4.0 GPA and is hella smart..
Micha Johnson needs to be our 1st round pick. Strong side LB for 10+years… He hurt his knee, lost some speed and was still able to catch up to RB’s and WR’s in the open field from behind and make a tackle.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
Yes i have seen him
i didn’t say he was bad. I just said unspectacular. He’s not a playmaker but he’s solid. He is as stout against the run as any LB I have seen. But he’s not the best in coverage. He’s even said he needs to get better there. I never said he wasn’t huge because he’s monsterous in size. I saw him this year when he played. In an interview that I have, he said he could run about a 4.6 and do 30+ reps on bench right now. I know he has been bothered by an ankle and knee injury this year. The ankle carrying over from last year and an MCL sprain he suffered and played through so we know he’s tough. I think the guy is great and barring some learning could be one of the better linebackers in the NFL. I personally believe he is better than Brandon Spikes since Spikes plays on a team where everyone looks good. Micah has 1st round talent, but his lack of game changing plays and stellar highlights is what will keep him out. He could possibly sneek into the bottom with a lights out combine which I think he’ll have, but his play lack of highlights keep him out. i talked with people at kentucky and many think Sam could be better and you could make a case for that. I mean Micah seems to be the better looker in what one wants but Sam has put up the gamechanging plays to bring him into the spotlight. Most people say he is better in coverage than Micah and he has looked it. I think Micah and Sam will be steals in the mud rounds. But what I give Sam over Micah is he made his presense a little more known in less time. This is only Sam’s first year starting. I do like both though.
by macjack09 on Dec 3, 2009 8:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not a game changer???
Did you see kentucky’s defense before and after he got hurt and then these past two weeks when he was almost 100% he doesnt create turnovers but neither does gocong so really we get a true LB who can murder people in the run and has decent coverage…
He doesnt excel in coverage because sam maxwell is pretty damn good in it, and he’s normally the one who drops back with micah rushing the QB.. He a good pass rusher too, the best ive seen in a long time…
For the record I would love to get Maxwell, he’s most definantly a “project” type of LB but he has the ability to surprise people in the NFL, he can be a good Will or witherspoon type..
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
Relax wild_eagle
I like Micah Johnson. I really do. If we picked him up I would give him the starting spot over Gocong right away. But I wasn’t talking about if we picked him up. In my personal opinion I think he would excel in our defense because our defense is based on the attack and Micah excels at that. But I was just talking about how he has looked at Kentucky. When I said gamechanger I meant he doesn’t make many big plays that alter the outcome of a game. Like I mentioned he is as stout as they come against the run. Pass coverage he can work on but he showed extreme athleticism when he chased down that running back who caught that ball on a flare all the way across the field from him and stopped him for a minimal gain. Its all about what defense he plays in when he gets to the NFL. Personally I think the best fits for our D are him, Sam, Quan, Norwood, and Daryl Washington. He won’t go in the first round, but if we don’t address the LB spot in free agency then he would be a hell of a steal in the 2-3 round. If he even makes it to the 3rd round.
by macjack09 on Dec 4, 2009 1:00 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Look at Louisville, auburn and other games where his stops
on 3rd/4th and short and 3rd/4th and goal changed the game completely…
I disagree here with your assessment. Micah is definantly going to be good-great in the NFL, I am going to go out on the ledge and say that. Sam will be good but Sam’s a weak side LB, Micah can be a SAM and MIKE if needed..
Ive watched so many LB’s and Micah would be great in our system… He’s a killer and I like that…
Im not argueing with you, I just think that Micah could be something special and I would like for philly to have him.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
No offense
But I also find it hard to believe that he has a 4.0 GPA. I mean I don’t think the guy isn’t smart but only at the College of Law in Kentucky can a person reach above a 4.0 in that college (the max there would be 4.3). But having a 4.0 would mean he is just about perfect in paper and test he turns in and I find that a little hard to believe. Even Myron Rolle who was also a student athlete had a 3.974 GPA and still won the Rhodes Scholarship. I don’t think Micah is stupid because if you hear him talk, he definitely sounds pretty smart. But a 4.0 is just a little hard to believe.
Nope I was wrong
he has like a 3.8 now, he had a 3.9 last year and a 3.7 the year before… but thats still pretty damn good.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
lol, mine too.. Im starting college next year so theres always time to
fix my GPA…
But yeah he’s smart as hell.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
thats awesome actually
I got a 3.904. But I guess that’s why I’m in med.
by macjack09 on Dec 4, 2009 3:03 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I don’t know if this is correct … if they give him a huge signing bonus than yes but he’s only making just shy of 700k this year. I’m sure if they want to resign him they will find a way to word the contract. The Eagles have never really backed themselves into a corner as far as the cap goes.
They have to sign him because there is no f’n way they franchise him at 10+ mil.
Jim Johnson 1941-2009
"The 0-2 pitch, swing and a miss! STRUCK HIM OUT! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! And let the city celebrate! " - Harry Kalas 1936-2009
they could franchise him
just to buy time until they sign him to a long term contract, but that wouldnt let them franchise someone else
but will there even be any franchise tags this offseason with the CBA dead
RIP JJ & HK
Just fucking win. (as said by LegendKnight22)
Avant better get extended or I will start a
Fire Reid/Banner Facebook group.
The guy is an outstanding player. He is truly God of the Slot. Best hands and most polished route running on the team. His blocking is also one of the best I’ve seen from a WR. He can easily be a No. 1 wideout on another team.
Andy Reid is 43-5 when running the ball at least 30 times in a game( Ray Diddy on Eagles Post Game Live after Bears Victory)
by Route36 on Dec 2, 2009 11:44 PM EST via mobile reply actions
avant has been too clutch lately not to get a deal
it seems to me that he’s one of the targets mcnabb is most comfortable with. i don’t think theyd let that slip away.
i couldnt agree more....
been saying it for weeks, I’m so nervous he won’t resign that I think about it in my college classes daily, I’m afraid he’d go to chicago for starter money. Avant is the glue of the offense in my opinion and I wouldn’t claim Dawk-likeness, he is on the verge.
avant
would never turn on us, unless Jesus himself appeared before him and promised him eternal happiness.
But because of the cap dollars we’ve already spent on Justice and Celek, I don’t think it’s possible we resign him or Weaver until the offseason. :(
by birds'n'raiders on Dec 3, 2009 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
been sayin this
i have been saying this since last year…. I completely agree and i hope that we do get to keep him. I have debates with people all the time about how good he really is…. I feel like if he went to a team who didnt have a big time receiver or didnt spread the ball around as much as we do, than he would put up 1000+ yards and 8+ TD’s. If he doesnt get signed by us than its gonna be because he wants to test the free agent market and get a bigger pay day. So heres to hoping that doesnt happen and we can lock him up!
" If you do that its really unfair, that's my teammate (sniff), that's my quarterback, if you guys do that its not fair, we lost as a team (sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff)." - Terrell Owens
have we lost all of the cap room we had??
"It's unfortunate that happened. That's no excuse. Absolutely no excuse."
-Andy Reid
we have a current cap space of $5,824,623
so there’s def room to lock him up
by bleedinggreeninDK on Dec 3, 2009 4:50 AM EST reply actions
FAIL
we had around $3 million before the Celek deal, which had a $11 million guarantee in it, so yeah, not much room left…
by bleedinggreeninDK on Dec 3, 2009 4:58 AM EST up reply actions
we are down to
$200,000
that’s Oakland Raider catagory…so clearly, the FO thinks next year is gonna be uncapped, or that all cap penalties will be cleared when a new CBA is agreed upon, because they have accelerated as much money on newer contracts to take up this year’s cap space. Next year’s figure, I’ve heard, would be 32 million if we don’t sign/resign anyone. So we should be in fine shape to get Weaver and Avant extended
by birds'n'raiders on Dec 3, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
Avant may want to test free agency
I am not saying he would not resign if offered a decent contract, but he may view himself as more than a slot WR. With DJ and Maclin on the edges, and Celek as TE, there are only so many balls to go around in this offense. Even though he is tailor made for the slot, Avant may very well wish to test the waters and see if he can land a #1 or #2 WR spot somewhere. This would equal more balls thrown his way, as well as a bit more $$.
who cares
i actually like avant .. but im not gonna cry over a slot reciever .. i think akeem jordan and sean jones are more important .. but the best thing to do is sign weaver!!
An inconsistent coach is far worse than an inconsistent quarterback.(Route 36)
by jack is better than asante on Dec 3, 2009 10:38 AM EST reply actions
Why do people have such a hard on for Sean Jones?
Dude’s been awful
he's a good player...hits hard, and covers well.
what’s not to like?
"What did it feel like? That collision, I didn't feel nothing, because he was pretty much defenseless. It was like running through a cardboard box. Seriously. Cardboard box."- Sheldon Brown on his pounding of Reggie Bush in the '06 Playoffs
I kinda agree
I mean I don’t see a reason he wouldn’t come back but I hope we resign him. He is a clutch 3rd down middle of the field guy. We for the love of God need to resign Weaver. Akeem, it wouldn’t hurt me either way. I mean I know he means a lot to our LB group but that isn’t saying to much. I sorta agree with Claze. I don’t think Sean has been awful, but nothing eye opening. I mean I like the guy and hope he plays lights out the rest of the season but he hasn’t really done anything to wow me. So my jury is still out on him right now.
by macjack09 on Dec 3, 2009 12:17 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I dont completely agree with you there
he came from the browns who have a pretty basic defense compared to the eagles…
He was outplayed early my Macho because he overthought and IMO he tried a bit to hard to impress..
He doesnt suck, he’s actually been pretty good these past few weeks.. But I think Macho will be the FS of the future if we dont get a 1st or 2nd rounder in april.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
no chance this year
As much as I hate it, Avant will not get a deal this year even if the Eagles had money left to spend. If next year goes cap free, then Avant is a RFA and the Eagles can sign him fairly cheap. If the cap does get put in place then he will be UFA and playing the market for a big payout. He has been far too good this year to not take the chance at big money, and the differences between the team and player are too large for either to take the risk of signing without certainty of the cap situation.
Avant Is a Good WR
And Finding those who are unafraid to go over the middle take a hit and almost Always make a tough catch in traffic get a first dwn block well and is not an easy task even though hes a slot guy……Id like him Back in Eagle green……..
We have to sign Avant
It will be pretty damn stupid if we did not.. Prolly the best Slot guy in the league, plus he’s been balling these past few weeks.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
thats a bold statement, I’m going welker, he missed like 2 games and still has 85 catches. What the fuck.
But I;m totally an Avant fan, he’s unbelievable. This year he’s showing me more than just his knack for a 1st down too, he’s been athletic as hell
Two thirds of the earth are covered by water, the other third is covered by Dawkins
by greeninireland on Dec 3, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions
Actually Welker doesnt play slot full time.
He’s an outside reciever alot now. Watch a Pats game, they move him to slot on plays with 4 or 5 WR’s..
I realize this is prolly a losing arguement but Avant can do some stuff welker cannot, and welker can do stuff Avant cannot.. Also got to take into consideration that Welker is force fed the ball alot and Avant has drastically fewer plays than Welker.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
What the hell?
Seriously, what the hell? How does Welker have 85 receptions. That is freaking mind-blowing.
who cares
im not crying over a third wr who doesnt even start .. he can be replaced easily .. weaver and jones are more important
An inconsistent coach is far worse than an inconsistent quarterback.(Route 36)
by jack is better than asante on Dec 3, 2009 7:00 PM EST reply actions
ahahahah
dude shut the hell up .. dont ever compare jason fuckin avant to TO … what a joke .. TO is an all time great
An inconsistent coach is far worse than an inconsistent quarterback.(Route 36)
by jack is better than asante on Dec 3, 2009 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
TO sucks this year.
Avant our 3rd reciever has outplayed your beloved TO…
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
bs
TO is an HOFer…he just is a product this season of bad qb play…lee evans should be the #2 behind TO…you all are stupid…i told u bout lj and no one believed me…i would make a suprebowel team with detroit in 5 yrs
RIP JJ & HK
Just fucking win. (as said by LegendKnight22)
OK JIBTA
lol
In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard.
-Theodore Roosevelt
LMFAO..
thats the greatest thing ever… You couldnt make a superbowl team out of 53 hofers in there prime…
hahahahhahahah thats got to be the stupidest thing you have ever thought of.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
oh shit, I thought that JIBTA actually
wrote that.. My bad JIBTA, Ill take that back until you actually say it.
thats Cobb on Kolb crime if you ask me... as said by yophillybro
LMAO
I knew someone would fall for it
In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Avant
was solely responsible for the game winning drive against the Redskins. A WR who is as willing to do anything for his team is not a common thing. Avant gives up his body on every play. EVERY. SINGLE. PLAY.
and Sean Jones blows
by birds'n'raiders on Dec 3, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
ums
sean jones >>> macho harris
An inconsistent coach is far worse than an inconsistent quarterback.(Route 36)
by jack is better than asante on Dec 3, 2009 7:49 PM EST up reply actions
I think our priority should be OJ Atogwe
Atogwe can transform this defense and there’s no way a rational person would want to stay in St. Louis. Get it done!
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