Philadelphia Eagles: 7 players who will benefit from a new head coach
By David Esser
Genard Avery
In what turned out to be one of the more bizarre Eagles trades in recent years, Howie Roseman’s decision to shoot away a fourth round pick for OLB/DE Genard Avery hasn’t paid off in the slightest. He had the one good game against San Francisco back in Week 4, but other than that – a whole lotta nothing.
However, similar to that of Hargrave, Avery is pretty profoundly playing in the wrong defensive scheme. A 6-0, 250lbs edge rusher, Avery has the physical mold of a 3-4 OLB, not a 4-3 defensive end. If the Philadelphia Eagles do opt to switch defensive schemes under the new head coach, Avery is one of those guys who could end up being a late bloomer.
Avery has all the athletic tools to be a productive edge rusher in a 3-4 scheme, and can even drop back into coverage a bit when asked to do so. His speed was one of the main selling points to Roseman acquiring him back in 2019, a level to his game that just couldn’t be properly used in Jim Schwartz’ north-south 4-3 scheme.
While I’m not expecting some crazy breakout year from the former Brown in 2021 (should the Eagles convert to a 3-4), I could definitely see him solidifying himself as a promising rotational piece.