Eagles release Avant, a veteran leader at receiver

Jason Avant mostly kept to himself in the Eagles locker room, but several times a week he'd enter the long space in the NovaCare Complex and yell out, "Bible study!" in the hopes of collecting a few more teammates for the team's in-season Christian classes.

Avant's cattle call won't be heard by the Eagles anymore, after the team released him, as expected, on Tuesday. But the greater loss may be the veteran's leadership and mentorship, especially among the wide receivers.

On the field, Avant's numbers dipped last season. He still caught 38 passes for 447 yards and two touchdowns, but for the first time in his eight-year career, his receptions dropped. Avant's production in the slot also dipped - he caught only 50 percent of targeted passes (31 of 62) one season after pulling in 76 percent (51 of 67).

His Eagle career ended with 297 receptions for 3,646 yards and 12 touchdowns, and an average of 12.3 yards per catch.

Avant's contributions were not easily measured, though. He was an above-average blocker and helped out on special teams, although he did less of the latter last season. The 30-year-old receiver should land softly elsewhere, perhaps in Kansas City with former coach Andy Reid, and the Eagles gave Avant a head start by releasing him a week before free agency starts.

"In the year I spent with Jason, he was unbelievable in terms of his work ethic and his selfless nature," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said in a statement. "He was a great teammate. We know he will have a chance to sign with another team, and by releasing him now, he will have a full offseason to make the necessary adjustments.

"I had a chance to speak with him today, and he handled himself like the true professional he is."

Avant was due a $1 million roster bonus on March 15. The Eagles will save nearly $3.25 million with his release, and have about $24 million in salary-cap space.

Attempts to reach Avant were unsuccessful, but he did sit down with CSNPhilly.com.

"You start seeing things when your role starts getting taken back and you don't have as many plays called for you," Avant said. "That was a lot this year."

Avant's release came as no surprise, although he became even more expendable after the Eagles re-signed free agents Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper last week. The receivers will split Avant's snaps out of the slot.

Last season, DeSean Jackson ran a career-high 26 percent of his routes out of the slot. Tight ends Brent Celek (34 percent) and Zach Ertz (43), plus Cooper (18), were also featured inside.

But who will replace Avant's leadership on offense, particularly among the receivers? He stood up for Cooper after the racial-slur incident in August and did his best to keep the locker room from dividing. He acted as a mentor to all of the receivers, especially after former position coach David Culley followed Reid to Kansas City.

Jackson wrote on Twitter that Avant "was a big brother & at the same time a mentor to me!"

As invaluable as Avant was as a teammate, his on-field role would have been limited if the Eagles kept him just for his leadership. As Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said during the NFL combine two weeks ago, it's tough to lead from the sideline.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement that "there have not been any players who have represented the Eagles with more class and dignity" than Avant. "Whether it was in the locker room, on the playing field, or in the community, he has always been a true professional, a role model, and a winner every step of the way."

In 2006, Avant was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round after posting a slow 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. While never swift, he increased his receptions in each of his first seven seasons, peaking in 2012 with 53 catches for 648 yards.

A number of Avant's receptions were one-handed memory-makers. He ranked his leaping sideline grab in Tampa Bay in 2012 as one of his finest.

He also delivered a key block - one that gave him a concussion - on Jackson's Miracle at the New Meadowlands punt return in 2010.

Avant could often be seen reading his Bible at his locker. He led mostly by example, but he never shied away from speaking up. He guided young receivers on and off the field, for Bible study classes and his after-practice routine of catching balls from the JUGS machine.

The Chicago native, who overcame a difficult childhood that he said involved selling drugs, was chosen by his teammates as the Ed Block Courage Award recipient in 2010.

"I know that my being here was more significant than numbers," Avant told the website. "And that's what I wanted."

@Jeff_McLane