10 UTR Philadelphia Eagles and how they help a playoff push

4. Genard Avery, defensive end

The Eagles’ lone acquisition from the trade deadline hasn’t produced much in his short time here. Genard Avery is likely going to develop into a solid pass rusher in the future, but he’s still learning the Eagles’ scheme. He’s also adjusting to becoming a pass rusher, rather than being used occasionally in pass coverage as a linebacker like he was with the Cleveland Browns.

In his debut as an Eagle versus the Chicago Bears, he only played three defensive snaps but was in on a sack in one instance and had a timely QB hit on another. Since then, he’s only played 17 snaps. In his rookie season, he saw the field much more often and finished with 4.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, 12 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and four pass deflections.

With Derek Barnett banged up right now, Avery could see more action soon. He’ll have a chance to prove that Howie Roseman was right for making the trade that brought him in. With consistent playing time, Avery can prove to be an impact player. Keep an eye out for him over the course of these next four games.