The Indianapolis Colts have found themselves a new veteran, and one that could give them plenty of positional versatility to their defense.
According to a release by the organization, the team has officially signed OLB/DE Genard Avery, waiving RB Darius Hagans to clear up a roster spot for him.
We have signed free agent DE Genard Avery and waived RB Darius Hagans. pic.twitter.com/Q4eFW2wb4Q
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) June 1, 2023
Avery is coming off a somewhat down season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making just nine appearances.
He finished the season with one tackle for loss, five QB hits, and one sack in 72 defensive snaps, also logging 164 snaps with the special teams.
The veteran defender entered the league as a fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He got off to a solid start to his career with 4.5 sacks as a rookie season in just five starts.
He was eventually traded in his second season, taking his talents to the Philadelphia Eagles after making just a couple of appearances for the AFC North side.
In the four seasons ever since that promising rookie campaign, Avery has logged just four sacks in 47 games.
Even so, he’s just 28 years old, so there’s a chance that he can still contribute and add some depth.
A 6-foot, 250-pound specimen, Avery could find himself in the mix for some playing time, granted that the Colts aren’t exactly going to be a winning team in 2023.
Still, the team will be must-watch television next season, as all eyes will be set on first-round QB Anthony Richardson after he turned a lot of heads throughout the whole NFL Draft process.
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