Report: Kansas City Chiefs Sign Jason Avant
By Ben Nielsen
Well that didn’t take long.
Multiple reports say the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a deal with Jason Avant. The former Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers receiver was a draft pick of Andy Reid.
Here’s the various Tweets.
Congrats to Jason avant. Said he deserved a better place and he found one.
— Doug Hendrickson (@DHendrickson41) November 21, 2014
New #Chiefs WR RT @DHendrickson41: Congrats to Jason avant. Said he deserved a better place and he found one.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2014
Chiefs are signing wide receiver Jason Avant, according to a source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 21, 2014
In eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Avant caught 297 passes at 12.3 yards per reception. People will be dismayed by his low career touchdown total, 13, but Avant was a very reliable secondary receiver who helped take coverage of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin during his years in Philly.
Getting somebody on the other side of Dwayne Bowe to can win one-on-one matchups has been an issue for the Chiefs since Reid arrived in Kansas City. Donnie Avery has been the best at it so far but he’s currently injured along with A.J. Jenkins and Junior Hemingway. Getting something out of the other side is a must at this point.
Avant is a possession receiver. He’s not a guy who is going to make plays down the field at this stage of his career. But the knowledge that opposing defenses will now have to spread out a little bit should help with some of the things the Chiefs want to do with Travis Kelce and De’Anthony Thomas over the middle.
At this point, even if Avant is just an average receiver he’s a significant upgrade over what the Chiefs had been getting out of Hammond, Hemingway, and Jenkins.