KC Chiefs: Donnie Avery Cut

The Kansas City Chiefs cut wide receiver Donnie Avery on Tuesday, saving $3.4 million on the 2015 salary cap, according to NBC Sports Pro Football Talk.

The move by general manager John Dorsey is something of a no brainer. The KC Chiefs were $1.5 million over the cap before the move according to Over the Cap.com and the 31-year-old Avery was only able to play six games last year after requiring mid-season hernia surgery on his groin.

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Avery suffered through a tough season in which he only caught 15 passes for a mere 176 yards in only three starts.

The Chiefs brought Avery to Kansas City in as a free-agent in 2013 following a strong 2012 season in Indianapolis in which he posted a career-high 60 receptions for 781 yards and 3 touchdowns. Avery looked ready to break out after tough start in the NFL, but the move didn’t really work out for Kansas City.

Deep threat Avery was a rather poor fit with new Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith—who has been tabbed “Captain Checkdown” by fans.

In 2013, Avery had a mediocre season with 40 catchers for 596 yards as Alex Smith struggled to adjust to Andy Reid‘s offense. Avery’s biggest play in a KC Chiefs uniform came in Kansas City’s playoff loss to the Colts when he took a bomb from Smith for a 79-yard touchdown. The play put the KC Chiefs ahead 17-7 early in the second quarter, but Avery didn’t catch another pass in the game.

Unfortunately, Avery left what could have been his biggest game as a Chief with an apparent concussion, one of five Kansas City Chiefs players to leave that day with an injury.

Avery came into the league as a 2nd round draft choice of the cross-state St. Louis Rams in 2008. He remained with the Rams for only two seasons before moving on to Tennessee in 2011 (where he only made 3 catches in only 8 games played) and then the Colts in 2012. Avery’s has 218 catches for 2861 yards and 14 touchdown in his career.

Avery now hits the market as a free-agent.

Cutting Donnie Avery now leaves the KC Chiefs receiver cupboard even more bare than the unit that put up 0 touchdown catches in 2014. Behind Dwayne Bowe, who might also become a cap casualty, the KC Chiefs only have Jason Avant, De’Anthony Thomas, Albert Wilson, Frankie Hammond, and Junior Hemingway.

Of that group, only Avant has a significant track record in the NFL as a 9-year veteran with 331 career receptions for 3,999 yards, but he was cut last season by the Panthers after the Eagles allowed him to depart in free-agency.

Next: KC Chiefs Mock Draft 2015, Unsurprising Picks

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