The Cleveland Browns enter their bye week with an incredibly disappointing 2-4 record following a 28-32 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. There are some very strange things going on with the team, from confusion over who is really in charge of the offense.
To Baker Mayfield suddenly becoming inaccurate and ridiculously unlucky, to Rashard Higgins not seeing the field after returning from injury, while Antonio Callaway was integrated into the gameplan immediately after returning from suspension, it's all very strange.
However, one of the weirdest happenings is the complete absence of EDGE Genard Avery, who, after a strong rookie season, has played a grand total of two snaps in 2019. Why is Cleveland keeping its third-best pass rusher in street clothes?
Avery was a fifth-round pick in 2018, having played inside linebacker at Memphis. The Browns moved him to outside linebacker/defensive end, and the results were immediate. He had a fantastic showing in the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles, and in Week 1 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, Avery was elite. He finished with one sack, one fumble forced, and a 90.3 grade from Pro Football Focus while playing a rotational role.
He finished the season with 40 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits. He didn't grade anywhere close to his Week 1 performance for the rest of the season, but he did end up as the best tackler on the Cleveland defense. With injuries to starters Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert later on in the season, Avery got playing time at LB, where he struggled at times, but did show some improvement. He was certainly best suited to rush the passer however, and was expected to be a great rotational piece of the Browns revamped front-seven.
Yet six games into the season, Avery has been active just once, against the Los Angeles Rams, and that was only because Chris Smith was inactive due to the tragic death of his girlfriend. Avery has been a healthy scratch the rest of the time. Why? It's not like the Browns have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line to the point where there just isn't any way to get Avery on the field.
The answer comes down to versatility and scheme fit. When asked about Avery's status, head coach Freddie Kitchens stated that the team simply has other needs on game day. Second-year player Chad Thomas, a third-round pick who barely played in 2018, has leadfrogged Avery on the depth chart. He and Smith handle all the DE reps when Myles Garrett or Olivier Vernon are not on the field.
Neither Smith nor Thomas has played all that well to this point, but neither has been all that bad, either, with the exception of one game for each. Thomas has the ability to play defensive tackle as well, although he's moved inside for just two of his 88 snaps. Avery's smaller stature (6′ 250lbs) means he's better suited as a standup rusher, rather than with his hand in the dirt. This could mean that the team is worried about his run defense, but the data shows this isn't the case. Chris Smith has an inch and 16 lbs on Avery, and has been considerably worse against the run than Avery, per PFF.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks runs a 4-2-5 scheme, which replaces a linebacker with an extra defensive back, usually Jermaine Whitehead. But since Avery is an EDGE, not a LB, this shouldn't matter, right?
You would think. But Avery has nonetheless failed to crack the DE rotation, and one reason for that may that he doesn't play special teams, at least not this season. Cleveland keeps LBs Sione Takitaki and Malik Jefferson active on gameday for the sole purpose of special teams, with no intention to play either on defense. Avery was a decent special teamer in 2018, playing a total of 90 snaps. But that of course hasn't been the case in 2019.
Both Smith and Thomas have played over 20 special teams snaps, with Smith a member of the field goal block team and Thomas taking the field on punt return. If Avery wants to see the field on defense, he'll need to overtake one of Takitaki, Jefferson, Smith, or Thomas on special teams. That may not be a good reason to keep him off the gameday roster, but without being privy to the coaching decisions inside Berea, it's the best we have.
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