The Detroit Lions have until March 5 to either strike a deal or use the franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril. Avril wants a long term deal and may have some leverage after coming off of an 11 sack campaign in 2011.
Avril who will be 26 in a few months, may holdout and miss some offseason workouts if the team does not meet his demand of offering a long term deal. This is a familiar situation for Avril as he wanted a long term deal last season, but ended up signing a one year restricted free agent tender with the Lions worth $2.6 million before the start of the 2011 season.
If the franchise tag is used on Avril it will come with a significant raise. The franchise tag is an average of the top five salaries at a particular position. In this case, that would be defensive end.
The projected number for defensive ends is expected to be around $10.5 million give or take. This is definitely no chump change, but Avril does have a case for a long term deal.
Ultimately, Cliff Avril is producing on the field and he wants to be paid like one of the top defensive ends in the NFL. The ball is the Lions hands as to what his worth is to the franchise long term.
Buy Detroit Lions Tickets | Buy Detroit Lions Apparel
