HEADLINES

Jason Avant

Eagles Release Jason Avant

March 4th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have released wide receiver Jason Avant, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported last month the the team was expected to part ways with the veteran receiver.

Avant, 30, had been in line for a $1MM roster bonus later this month, so the team will clear that figure from its books for 2014, as well as the receiver’s $2.25MM base salary. Overall, Avant will count for $710K in dead money rather than a $3.96MM cap number, creating $3.25MM in cap savings for Philadelphia.

Already this offseason, the Eagles have re-signed Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, who figure to be the Nos. 2 and 3 receivers behind DeSean Jackson, so paying nearly $4MM to a fourth receiver wasn’t feasible. The team will likely replace Avant with a low-level free agent or a pick in May’s draft.

Avant, who grabbed 38 balls for 447 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2013, will hit the open market immediately, joining this year’s class of free agent receivers. While he’s not a top-tier option, the longtime Eagle’s veteran leadership and ability to play out of the slot should make him a solid third or fourth receiver for another team.

Eagles Expected To Release Jason Avant

February 27th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are expected to release veteran wide receiver Jason Avant before his $1MM roster bonus is due next month, tweets Adam Caplan of SiriusXM. Avant’s $1MM roster bonus is due on March 15th and they’ll save $3.25MM once he’s cut loose.

Avant, well-regarded within the organization and locker room, is coming off of his least productive season since 2008. While teammate Riley Cooper took a seismic step forward in 2013, Avant hauled in just 38 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns across 14 games. That’s a far cry from his 2012 campaign where he caught 53 passes for 648 yards, good for 46.3 yards per game average.

The Eagles agreed to a four-year deal with Cooper earlier this week that will keep Nick Foles‘ favorite target in Philadelphia for quite a while. Meanwhile, they continue to work on a new deal with the ultra-athletic but oft-injured Jeremy Maclin. The Eagles want to sign him to a multi-year pact while his value is low while Maclin is looking for a one-year, make-good deal.

NFC East Links: Avant, Eagles, Cowboys

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the NFC East:

  • Coming off his least productive season since 2008, Jason Avant still believes he has plenty left in the tank, as he tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. However, the Eagles will have to make a decision in the coming weeks on what to do with Avant, who is scheduled to receive a $1MM roster bonus in March, on top of his $2.25MM base salary.
  • The Eagles figure to be targeting safeties again in the 2014 draft, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, detailing a number of possible options for the team.
  • Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated that the team is open to drafting a quarterback in May, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
  • On the heels of kicker Dan Bailey inking a seven-year contract with the Cowboys, Watkins explores a few candidates for the next Dallas player to receive a long-term extension, starting with Dez Bryant.