ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Detroit Lions will not allow DE Cliff Avril to hit the free agent.
Detroit has mentioned a number of times that Avril is the team’s top priority heading into the offseason. Avril, 25, will be one of the most sought after free agents and could net a deal close to Charles Johnson’s six-year, $76 million contract that he signed with Carolina last year.
The plan for the Lions could include a temporary franchise tag which would buy them some extra time to renegotiate a long-term contract. It’s worth noting that GM Martin Mayhew has said that he would like refrain from using the tag on Avril but it could be the only way of preventing him from testing the open market.
We have Avril listed as the #13 best available free agent in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
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