Avant is the most underrated guy on the team.
Because of the lack of a CBA heading into the 2010 season, Eagles' fullback Leonard Weaver, along with seven others, are restricted free agents instead of hitting the open market. As a result, these players are going to lose a lot of money.
Instead of hitting the market and potentially getting long-term deals with some good up-front money, these guys are all looking at one-year tenders that will keep their careers on hold rather than allowing them to either move on, or get that long-term deal from the Eagles.
Most of the Eagles' RFA's are backup guys who the Eagles probably would not have brought back were they to hit the market (Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong, Max Jean-Gilles, Alex Smith, etc.), but guys like Weaver, along with Jason Avant, Nick Cole, and Ellis Hobbs all at least faced the possibility of getting long-term offers.
The Eagles probably won't spend the money before they have to, but they would be wise to show some loyalty to Weaver and Avant by giving them long-term deals anyway. They certainly did enough in '09 to earn it, and showing them some good faith looks good to potential free agent signings this season and beyond.
It shows that the team is willing to take care of their players when the situation is called for, and not just when they've exhausted all penny-pinching options.
Not only that but both players, regardless of their good seasons, will be fairly cheap. Weaver is a fullback, the lowest-paid position other than kickers and punters, and Avant is only a slot receiver. Somewhere between $3-4 million per season for both players, probably closer to three, for three or four years would have both doing backflips.
They both clearly want to stay in Philly and both have paid their dues. It's time to start taking care of the guys who have earned it instead of making them feel unwanted and waiting until they're sufficiently pissed off to start negotiations.
The Birds need both players, so let's not take any chances and make sure that they're wearing midnight green for at least a few more seasons.
