WR Jason Avant Released By Eagles

[Deus Irae]

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

he's a #3 WR at best

 

[FalconHeavy]

Nick Foles had a 64% completion percentage and was the #1 QB in the NFL for passer rating at 119.2.

still worth a try in camp at least. i mean how bad he can be when compared to our dropsons and dropkins

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I am not a fan of Thompkins and do not expect him to make the 2014 roster but Avant is not an upgrade.

Thompkins – 70 targets, 32 receptions, 466 yards, 4 touchdowns.
Avant – 76 targets, 38 receptions, 447 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Thompkins line for one year is better then Troy Browns first 3 seasons combined.

44 games, 37 completions, 403 yards, and 0 TD's. (they did not track targets)

I'd give him some more time.

 

[Brady6]

still worth a try in camp at least. i mean how bad he can be when compared to our dropsons and dropkins

I think you have to account for a learning curve for rookies, especially Dobson who had most of his drops in the first half 4-5 games of his career. Thompkins on the other hand I am not so sure about, I liken him to Justin Francis in 2012 and Sterling Moore in 2011, a player who came in and worked hard and was able to grasp the scheme quickly. This gave Thompkins an early advantage and earned him snaps but over time the more talented players like Dobson and Boyce caught on to what it took to get on the field on a Belichick led team and did those things as well and that is when Thompkins was phased out.

The problem with having a player like Avant in camp is he takes reps from a younger player that would benefit a lot more from them. Over the last few years, these 30+ year old receivers have given us nothing –

- Johnson
- Gaffney
- Stallworth
- Gonzalez
- Jenkins
- Hawkins

I would like to see us take a different approach, I know that in the 2000s Belichick had a lot of success with the veteran signings and revived their careers for a solid 2-3 years of production. I have not seen that in recent years, it seems like most of them are epic failures and that is beyond just the WRs I mentioned.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Nothing to see here....move along.

 

[Brady6]

We're talking 90 men squad now.

I would rather give one of those spots to a player who has upside, Avant is on the downside of his career. Before free agency, the draft and undrafted free agency we already have the following youngsters on this team –

- Dobson, WR
- Boyce, WR
- Thompkins, WR
- Harrison, WR
- Moe, WR
- McGuffie, RB/WR
- Orton, WR
- Dunn, WR
- Williams, TE

 

[Brady6]

I agree with an outside receiver, but stretching the field is overrated. They need someone to stop opposing teams from flooding the middle of the field.

I agree stretching the field is overrated, but I am looking more at getting 15-20 yards up the field to clear out space for the players like Edelman, Amendola, Vereen, etc. to work without a cluster F.

I look at players like Brandon LaFell, Sidney Rice, and even Kenny Britt who have some size and can make a reception in the 11-20 yards range, which is where we lacked as an offense especially when Gronkowski was out.

 

[Kontradiction]

I agree with an outside receiver, but stretching the field is overrated. They need someone to stop opposing teams from flooding the middle of the field.

One of the best ways to do that is by having a WR that can stretch the field.

 

[Wheelman]

I wouldn't mind us taking a look for a low price.

He has good hands.

Article : Jason Avant Released

Seriously whoever first came up with that seriously has selective memory. I heard this time and time again about this guy. And everytime I watched him he dropped passes. His dropped passes were as bad as the rookie receivers dropped passes we had this season.

That doesn't tell me about the specific passes thrown to Avant.

The guy sucks at catching the ball, he dropped passes that should have been TD's. Right on the money, and wide open! We've had enough dropped passes over the past few seasons...don't need more of that...

 

[JPsPats]

I'd rather give thompkins another year. He wasn't awful for an UDFA ROOKIE. Another year in the offence I think he can get 600-700 yards and 5-7 tds. He came though in the saints game, big time play.

 

[EddieBlake]

Wrong side of thirty

 

[YearbookCurfew]

I hope the Pats give him a look. He could be a good mentor for the young WRs and show them a thing or two.

 

[mgteich]

And why would this mean that we would have no interest?

Even with Edelman, Amendola, and Dobson, we need a #4 and a #5. If Avant is a #3 at best, then he is good enough to be a backup.

I see no problem bringing in several at his level to compete for the two backup spots with what we have a perhaps with a rookie.

I also see no problem with having bottom of the roster players over 30. These are basically rent-a-players. We bring them in to camp and hope that they make the squad for a year. Once in awhile we get a keeper.

Belichick builds a 90 man squad and then more than 1/3 don't make the squad. It is unreasonable to expect every free agent signing to be a productive one.

We will have several signing at key positions, but these are relatively few.

he's a #3 WR at best

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I hope the Pats give him a look. He could be a good mentor for the young WRs and show them a thing or two.

A big brother program for low quality receivers? Maybe they could try for some talent instead.

 

[BobDigital]

Jason Avant FA WR

This would be the guy I would look to sign if Edelman is gone which i suspect he is. Avant is a sure handed 6'0 210 lb slot WR that will be 31 this year.

He has good quickness and adequate speed while being a solid special teams player and locker room guy. He would be a cheap veteran signing who could help us and really do well without our system. Also he does not get hurt often missing only maybe 6 games in the last 6 years or so.

This to me is one of those good mid-level FA signings that just makes sense considering our teams state.

I still think we could use another FA or draft pick WR after getting him but he is a part of the solution.

 

[nabwong]

And why would this mean that we would have no interest?



Even with Edelman, Amendola, and Dobson, we need a #4 and a #5. If Avant is a #3 at best, then he is good enough to be a backup.



I see no problem bringing in several at his level to compete for the two backup spots with what we have a perhaps with a rookie.



I also see no problem with having bottom of the roster players over 30. These are basically rent-a-players. We bring them in to camp and hope that they make the squad for a year. Once in awhile we get a keeper.



Belichick builds a 90 man squad and then more than 1/3 don't make the squad. It is unreasonable to expect every free agent signing to be a productive one.



We will have several signing at key positions, but these are relatively few.

Exactly. And BB is constantly building a shadow roster. Case in point, Anthony Gonzalez, who came up big for us in a couple of games.

Edit. Was thinking of Austin collie.

 

[Deus Irae]

Exactly. And BB is constantly building a shadow roster. Case in point, Anthony Gonzalez, who came up big for us in a couple of games.

Are you referring to Austin Collie? Anthony Gonzalez didn't play for the Patriots.

 

[nabwong]

Are you referring to Austin Collie? Anthony Gonzalez didn't play for the Patriots.

I was thinking of Austin collie.

 

[captain stone]

A big brother program for low quality receivers? Maybe they could try for some talent instead.

They could, but Bill hasn't drafted talent at WR for over a decade, and I have no confidence
whatsoever in his ability to change that piss-poor trend now.