On Monday, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have signed free agent and former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant to a one-year-deal. The 30-year-old Avant, enters his 9th season in the NFL, and his first away from Philadelphia.
“We are happy to have Jason with the Panthers,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “He provides a versatile player at receiver and brings good size as well as experience to the position.”
Jason Avant has managed to stay healthy through most of his career, missing only four games in the last seven years. From 2010-2012 he had three straight seasons with at least 50 receptions. Last year he had 38 receptions for 447 yards and two touchdowns. Avant has had trouble finding the end zone though, in eight years he only has 12 touchdowns, but he also has 12.3 yards per receptions. In his best year, 2009, Avant made 41 receptions for 587 yards and three touchdowns.
Via Pro Football Focus (@PFF), Avant also has the 4th most reception yards from the slot in the last three years (1,692).
This, of course, brings out the best for both Jason Avant and the Panthers. Jason Avant has a chance to put up big stats, and Carolina gets a grand spanking new receiver on the roster at a time where they’re desperate for one.
Avant adds another experienced receiver to the Panthers offence, a group that was left with no receivers who had a single career NFL reception just a few weeks ago. He joins Jerricho Cotchery as the Panthers only experienced wideouts. You can probably still expect the Panthers to target one, if not two wide receivers in the NFL Draft.
Jason Avant was originally drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Michigan.
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(stats via espn.com, source via @PFF)
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