It is time for the Cleveland Browns to free Genard Avery

Through the first five games of the season, Cleveland Browns pass rusher Genard Avery has been inactive for four of them; it is time to #FreeGenard.

With a fifth round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected edge rusher Genard Avery out of the University of Memphis, and early in his career, he could be regularly found in opposing team’s backfields. Fast forward to his second season and Avery cannot even be found in pads and a helmet as he has been a healthy scratch all but one game this season for the Browns.

As a rookie, Avery recorded four and a half sacks in a rotational role for the Browns, tallying a massive amount of pressures and 14 hits on opposing quarterbacks. Avery also added five tackles behind the line of scrimmage, one forced fumble, and four passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

Looking primed for a big year two, why can’t the former Memphis Tiger find his way onto the field for the brown and orange? It is time for the Browns to #FreeGenard, one way or the other; either get the aggressive pass rusher on the field and let him go to work, or put him in a position to succeed elsewhere.

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For a team that managed only two sacks against a backup left tackle and a rather underwhelming interior offensive line of the San Francisco 49ers, what sense does it make to keep Avery in his seatbelt? This offseason, the talk of the town was a passing down defensive line where Myles Garrett would slide inside and Avery would fire off the edge opposite of Olivier Vernon. Instead opposing quarterbacks are given time to pick apart this injury-ridden secondary.

Especially for a team that completely forgot how to wrap up yesterday, having a player with the highest tackling grade of the entire unit on the field would seem to make a difference. What happened between last year and this year that maligned Avery from this team and from giving him playing time with the Browns?

The best guess that can be given is the change at defensive coordinator. While nobody would argue that Steve Wilks is a better defensive coordinator than Gregg Williams, it seems like the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals has no use for the second-year pass rusher in Genard Avery.

It seems as though Wilks prefers ends who have the strength to set the edge, keep contain, and force ball carriers back inside, hence the preference towards last year’s third rounder Chad Thomas. However, in passing situations, why would a coach not want his best pass rushers on the field?

As it stands, the Browns must #FreeGenard as it is not fair to the young pass rusher who was off to such a promising start to his career. If there is no plan for success in Cleveland for Avery, then they should begin accepting calls from other teams on his behalf; as the old adage goes, “If you love him, let him go.”