Philadelphia Eagles: Why isn’t Genard Avery blitzing more often?

When Howie Roseman and Philadelphia Eagles surrendered a 2021 fourth-round draft pick for Genard Avery back in 2019, it felt like a pretty big overpay.

A former fifth-round pick out of Memphis who played incredibly well under Gregg Williams as a rookie with the Browns, Avery looked like a classic reclamation project the likes of which smart general managers routinely capitalize on.

I mean thinking about it; after logging 4.5 sacks, eight QB hits, and 25 pressures on 77 blitzes as a rookie, the 6-foot-nothing, 250-pound rusher only logged four snaps as a sophomore due to his perceived poor fit in Steve Wilks’ defense and was made available as a result. If Avery could just recapture his rookie prowess in a scheme designed around linemen relentlessly pursuing ball carriers in the backfield, maybe the Eagles would finally have an heir apparent for Brandon Graham coming off the edge.

Remember, this was before Josh Sweat broke out and Derek Barnett‘s fifth-year option was picked up. The Eagles were desperate for a long-term answer at defensive end, especially if they could secure one without giving up a first-round pick.

Even if giving up a fourth-round pick two years down the line for a player drafted in the fifth round a year prior felt rich, surely Avery would at least live up to his rookie pedigree, right?

Nope. Not at all.

Since making his on-field Philadelphia Eagles debut in Week 9 of the 2019 NFL season, Avery has appeared in 26 games with five starts and amassed 39 tackles, nine QB hits, and a pair of sacks, all of which are fewer than his production with the Browns despite appearing in eight fewer games.

Things were so bleak for Avery as a defensive end that he transitioned from defensive end to SAM linebacker heading into the final year of his rookie contract, a position that theoretically looked rife with opportunity under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

… Except that also hasn’t happened. Unlike the Minnesota Vikings, who use their SAM linebacker, Anthony Barr, all over the defensive front as a do-it-all defensive weapon, Avery has been largely relegated to a simple base down linebacking role for roughly 28.57 defensive snaps per game (40 percent).

So what gives? Why aren’t the Philadelphia Eagles blitzing Genard Avery – or really any of their linebackers – more often?

The Philadelphia Eagles’ blitzing packages are beyond vanilla.

Through the first seven games of the 2021 NFL season, Genard Avery has blitzed opposing quarterbacks 17 times.

Is that a lot? No, it’s less than three times per game, but in a weird twist of fate, it actually leads all linebackers on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster, with Eric Wilson ranking second with six blitzes on 280 total defensive snaps.

So what gives? Wasn’t Jonathan Gannon heralding the optionality of Brandon Staley’s defensive front in Los Angeles? How come we haven’t seen a 3-4 front, linebacker blitzer, or the sort of exotic looks that make the current Los Angeles Chargers so defensively potent?

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine.

Maybe Gannon is more concerned with dropping his ‘backers into coverage instead of sending them into the backfield. In theory, that makes sense… except that when you play zone as often as the Eagles do, you should still be able to blitz linebackers fairly easily by doping Josh Sweat, Derek Barnett, or even Fletcher Cox back into a shallow zone.

Boy, after declaring that he isn’t paid to play screens, could you imagine how mad Cox would be to drop back into zone coverage a time or two per game?

There’s also the fact that the Eagles are often being thrown on from three, four, and even five wide receiver sets, which is not where Avery is typically deployed. If Avery isn’t on the field for obvious passing downs, then how would you expect him to register expansive opportunities to rush the passer? Except Avery is playing roughly 40 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps and does, in fact, get opportunities to rush on advantageous downs a few times per game.

Really, Avery’s lack of usage as a chess piece blitzer appears to be solely on Nick Sirianni’s defensive coordinator, as he just doesn’t seem to value pressuring the quarterback as much as his predecessor.

In the NFL, the best way to improve a coverage unit is with a good pass rush. The less time opposing quarterbacks have to throw the ball, the fewer open looks they’ll exploit, and thus, the more mistakes they will make. Jim Schwartz’s defense made its bones on collapsing the pocket and forcing opposing offensive coordinators to change up their game plan. Jonathan Gannon’s scheme is more of a throwback to the Tampa 2 fronts of yesteryear, which seldom see regular use in the NFL in 2021 for a reason. I guess the only thing the two defensive coordinators have in common is their inability to squeak value out of Genard Avery, which stinks for everyone, especially Genard Avery.