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He's no T.O. clone
No. 81 just trying to make good impression on Eagles
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com
The guy who wears No. 81 these days for the Eagles doesn't close himself off to the rest of the locker room behind headphones. So far he's had nothing to say on the relative merits of Donovan McNabb vs. Brett Favre. He doesn't work out in his driveway, or if he does, there are no TV helicopters hovering overhead, taping his situps.
Today, as Terrell Owens begins his first Dallas Cowboys minicamp, Jason Avant will be winding up a series of Eagles sessions for rookies and younger veterans. It's been an important time, Avant said, an opportunity to learn the Birds' version of the West Coast offense along with other newcomers, while they have the coaches' undivided attention. Full-squad workouts begin Monday.
"It's just like a classroom setting,'' said Avant, a fourth-round rookie wideout from Michigan. "I'm soaking up all the information. When the veterans get here, some of the reps are going to be cut down. I was blessed to play in the same offense in college, just with different terminology.''
Avant has created a positive impression in his early Eagles days, but neither Avant nor anyone else on the roster is likely to take the place of Owens, a five-time Pro Bowler who scored 20 touchdowns in 21 Eagles games over two seasons.
Veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia - who knows the positives and negatives of life with T.O. very well - this week told reporters that so far, the new group of receivers is "a lot of clones.'' That's a more pointed way of saying what other observers have said, that the Eagles seem to have collected several receivers with good size, strength and hands who lack blazing, big-play speed. That description could apply to Avant, free-agent acquisition Jabar Gaffney, veteran Darnerien McCants, rookie Hank Baskett, or even the presumed No. 1 target, second-year receiver Reggie Brown, who is probably the quickest of that bunch. Todd Pinkston, the veteran wideout coaches hope will stretch defenses, is still recovering from Achilles' tendon surgery.
"Somebody is going to have to really step up and separate themselves,'' Garcia said. "I mean that in a good way. I think competition is going to create that atmosphere on the field.''
That doesn't mean Garcia hasn't liked what he has seen of Avant, the only wideout the Birds drafted this spring.
"I like his attitude, his determination,'' Garcia said. "I think he's a kid who's out here trying to get better every single day. He's working hard, he's listening to what's going on around him. Whether it's the coaches or it's the other players helping him out, he seems to be very focused on getting better and making this team and being a contributor on this team.''
Avant finished his Michigan career third on the school's all-time receptions list, with 169, and he caught at least one pass in 33 games in a row, but he apparently dropped in the draft because of some poor 40-yard dash times - a couple of 4.8s, when a hand injury kept him from taking a sprinter's stance, then a 4.64 and a 4.62.
Garcia has seen receivers succeed despite unimpressive 40 times.
"Jerry Rice - here's a guy that they always underestimated speedwise, but was one of the best at running the 'go' route, getting on top of corners, creating separation and making plays. Not to put anybody in that same caliber right now, but that's a guy that ran a 4.5, 4.6 40, yet when gametime came, he knew what he had to do to get open and make plays,'' Garcia said.
That's what Avant insists he knows how to do.
"Technique beats speed and athleticism,'' Avant said. "To me, you have to have a good release, attack the angles, then you have to be able to sell deep [make the defender think you might be going long], and then, I don't know if you can coach it, but you have to have an ability to get open, you have to know when to make a certain move. Everybody doesn't know when to stick that foot in the ground.''
Avant, 6 foot, is listed at 212 but said this week he's around 206 tightly muscled pounds. In the arms and chest, he resembles that other No. 81, even if he doesn't have Owens' impossibly lithe 6-3 frame.
Avant was a basketball point guard and a baseball shortstop growing up. He seems to have a good feel for team dynamics. He talked this week about trying to learn everything he can about all three wideout spots.
"The more you know, the more valuable you are,'' Avant said. "You never know who might go down. I don't want to be limited by only knowing one role.''
He has said he didn't ask for Owens' jersey - "that was the number they gave me,'' he said at the first minicamp. But Avant probably could have asked for something lower-profile, if he was worried about it. He doesn't seem too concerned.
No. 81 just trying to make good impression on Eagles
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com
The guy who wears No. 81 these days for the Eagles doesn't close himself off to the rest of the locker room behind headphones. So far he's had nothing to say on the relative merits of Donovan McNabb vs. Brett Favre. He doesn't work out in his driveway, or if he does, there are no TV helicopters hovering overhead, taping his situps.
Today, as Terrell Owens begins his first Dallas Cowboys minicamp, Jason Avant will be winding up a series of Eagles sessions for rookies and younger veterans. It's been an important time, Avant said, an opportunity to learn the Birds' version of the West Coast offense along with other newcomers, while they have the coaches' undivided attention. Full-squad workouts begin Monday.
"It's just like a classroom setting,'' said Avant, a fourth-round rookie wideout from Michigan. "I'm soaking up all the information. When the veterans get here, some of the reps are going to be cut down. I was blessed to play in the same offense in college, just with different terminology.''
Avant has created a positive impression in his early Eagles days, but neither Avant nor anyone else on the roster is likely to take the place of Owens, a five-time Pro Bowler who scored 20 touchdowns in 21 Eagles games over two seasons.
Veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia - who knows the positives and negatives of life with T.O. very well - this week told reporters that so far, the new group of receivers is "a lot of clones.'' That's a more pointed way of saying what other observers have said, that the Eagles seem to have collected several receivers with good size, strength and hands who lack blazing, big-play speed. That description could apply to Avant, free-agent acquisition Jabar Gaffney, veteran Darnerien McCants, rookie Hank Baskett, or even the presumed No. 1 target, second-year receiver Reggie Brown, who is probably the quickest of that bunch. Todd Pinkston, the veteran wideout coaches hope will stretch defenses, is still recovering from Achilles' tendon surgery.
"Somebody is going to have to really step up and separate themselves,'' Garcia said. "I mean that in a good way. I think competition is going to create that atmosphere on the field.''
That doesn't mean Garcia hasn't liked what he has seen of Avant, the only wideout the Birds drafted this spring.
"I like his attitude, his determination,'' Garcia said. "I think he's a kid who's out here trying to get better every single day. He's working hard, he's listening to what's going on around him. Whether it's the coaches or it's the other players helping him out, he seems to be very focused on getting better and making this team and being a contributor on this team.''
Avant finished his Michigan career third on the school's all-time receptions list, with 169, and he caught at least one pass in 33 games in a row, but he apparently dropped in the draft because of some poor 40-yard dash times - a couple of 4.8s, when a hand injury kept him from taking a sprinter's stance, then a 4.64 and a 4.62.
Garcia has seen receivers succeed despite unimpressive 40 times.
"Jerry Rice - here's a guy that they always underestimated speedwise, but was one of the best at running the 'go' route, getting on top of corners, creating separation and making plays. Not to put anybody in that same caliber right now, but that's a guy that ran a 4.5, 4.6 40, yet when gametime came, he knew what he had to do to get open and make plays,'' Garcia said.
That's what Avant insists he knows how to do.
"Technique beats speed and athleticism,'' Avant said. "To me, you have to have a good release, attack the angles, then you have to be able to sell deep [make the defender think you might be going long], and then, I don't know if you can coach it, but you have to have an ability to get open, you have to know when to make a certain move. Everybody doesn't know when to stick that foot in the ground.''
Avant, 6 foot, is listed at 212 but said this week he's around 206 tightly muscled pounds. In the arms and chest, he resembles that other No. 81, even if he doesn't have Owens' impossibly lithe 6-3 frame.
Avant was a basketball point guard and a baseball shortstop growing up. He seems to have a good feel for team dynamics. He talked this week about trying to learn everything he can about all three wideout spots.
"The more you know, the more valuable you are,'' Avant said. "You never know who might go down. I don't want to be limited by only knowing one role.''
He has said he didn't ask for Owens' jersey - "that was the number they gave me,'' he said at the first minicamp. But Avant probably could have asked for something lower-profile, if he was worried about it. He doesn't seem too concerned.