Steady Veteran Jason Avant Is One Of The Team’s Quiet Leaders

Eagles veteran slot receiver Jason Avant may not catch as many balls this year as he did a year ago but it’s not about quantity with Avant, it’s about quality.

He might not make a lot of catches each game, but the ones he comes down with are usually important and move the sticks at important times.

It may work out that he catches more balls this time around but we’ll have to wait and see how they utilize him and how things work with Kevin Kolb at the controls.

He was the number one target for Donovan McNabb on third downs and he’s likely to assume the same role with Kolb.¬† He knows how to find the open area in a zone and he’s strong and quick enough to get that seperation needed against man-to-man coverage.

Avant is one of the leaders on the football team because you can see that he puts the team first and doesn’t have a goal of putting up lofty numbers.

There’s going to be tension in the relationships of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin because they’re both Pro Bowl talents.¬† They’re going to want the football, even if they don’t make it public knowledge. Avant will be around to monitor their relationship.

He’s not loud with his leadership and he doesn’t make it a point to get in front of the microphones and try to create the image that he is a leader, but he is definitely that.

Go out to the practices and see who’s the guy first in line with the receiver drills.¬† Checkout who is the guy talking to Jackson and Maclin after they have had tough losses and bad plays during games.

I heard him talking to them last year about the wide receivers making contributions to the team as a group and not as individuals, so that everybody wouldn’t be focused on their numbers.

I remember him cooling off Jackson last year after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , which saw Jackson catch one pass for one yard.

Who was the guy always downplaying the nonsense the media would bring into the locker room concerning McNabb and he’ll be the guy talking to everybody, especially the young receivers when things happen this year.

Avant is going to be especially helpful to Kolb this year because he’s not a stats guy who is in his ear telling him he’s open.¬† Wide receivers are always open if you ask them, but Avant knows his role.

I think Andy Reid knows the value he has been to the young receivers and he knows how important a steadying influence in the locker room is when things don’t go right.

Avant is best blocker among the team’s wide receivers and a solid special teams performer.¬† He’s got the best hands on the team and is willing to take vicious hits to come down with the football.

The thing Avant doesn’t have is speed so you’re not going to see him beating defensive backs deep.¬† That’s why he’s the ideal receiver to work out of the slot and come down with drive sustaining catches.

The former Michigan Wolverine will have his work cut out for him as the young team deals with adversity and experiences growing pains.