Genard Avery was not on the field for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. The second-year EDGE was one of the weekly inactives for the game with the Tennessee Titans, a move which caught many by surprise.
Was he hurt? Is Avery in the doghouse? Did his poor preseason performance really weigh that much into the equation?
Coach Freddie Kitchens was asked about Avery during his press conference on Tuesday. Kitchens attempted to douse any fires with his explanation on why Avery was inactive.
“You can’t carry but 46 (players on the active roster),” Kitchens stated. “I don’t know where you want to take it from there. Yeah. It was a coach’s decision.”
Kitchens’ tone indicated it was not punitive, but rather a matter of fact that Avery simply was not one of the 46 most important Browns for facing the Titans.
Our take
The Browns played two LBs almost exclusively on Sunday. Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey played every snap. No. 3 LB Adarius Taylor played just three. Avery is more of a pass-rushing specialist and the Titans were not regarded as a heavy passing team. Also, Avery does not yet contribute much on special teams, a key for reserve LBs.
