POLL: Will The Detroit Lions Franchise Cliff Avril?

You don’t let a high profile player hit the open market if you have any kind of say in it. If they don’t get a deal done before the 5th, I’m pretty confident they’d tag him. Even if he holds out, it’s better then just letting him walk. There’s a possibility of at least getting something for him. It’d be a bad business move to not get some kind of return if you can’t sign him.

So I see the Lions working like hell to get a contract done so that the tag is not used. I believe they want to work out a contract with a lower 2012 CAP hit so that they can fit other guys in too. And frankly, I think Cliff wants almost the same thing.

I don’t see this ending with Cliff not a Lion in 2012. Just my opinion. This looks similar to what Terrell Suggs went through with the Ravens.
LINK:http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/baltimore-ravens/terrell-suggs

Every employee has the right to go out and get what they can so I don’t begrudge him that. But I don’t think he is worth what he wants. I also don’t like the idea of him being franchised and pouting.

I think he can get more than the Lions want to give him and he knows that. I truly feel we have the depth to survive this.

Overpaying players can hurt a franchise the same way a bad draft will. Let him go if he doesn’t like the offer.

I heard him talking about “striking Gold” with free agency, I’ve heard him talk about having no “Hometown discount”. I never hear him talking about winning. He can play adequately when surrounded by talent getting double teamed, but I don’t put him in the elite category by any stretch. The only thing that he is in it for is money. From what I have seen, the only way you are going to motivate him to perform is to franchise tag him, force him to put up numbers for one more year, then dump him. Otherwise, he will just take the money and become another Haynesworth.

We have depth on the D line. Moving Avril would actually benefit the rest of the players on the D line. It would add more fluidity to his old half of the D line. That would allow players to move around more which would make things far less predictable! Seriously! How does Suh playing the same spot all season benefit his production? It doesn’t. Move the man around and let him cause havoc.

We spent a 3rd on him 4 years ago. Getting a second or even better a first for him is a win.

Sorry Cliff, it was fun but you are expendable. If there was no salary cap, I am sure you would be back. Have fun with your big paycheck. Have fun being the guy your new team thinks is supposed to solve their pass rush issues all by himself. Have fun when your numbers drop off because opposing teams can concentrate on you. Have fun with the fan backlash from those dropping numbers.

I really don’t think Avril is going to get that big payoff he’s been wanting. I just don’t see it. My thought process is that he’s have to fit in the same system as the new team, they’d have to have top dollar to have and keep him there, and he’s have to do the same if not better next year. I think if he were to hit FA right now, he wouldn’t be making anymore money than he would with Detroit. If he were to make a lot of money this year, it would only be for a year.

I think he’ll have the Chris Houston syndrome and end up biting his tongue to stay with Detroit. I’d say the same about Megatron, but honestly, he deserved all that money. For all the years he stuck with Detroit through the bad and very worst, he really was the ONLY good thing about the team in years past. I don’t feel the same about Avril, no matter how talented.

we franchise him and trade him? possibly to giants for osi? he seems like he will be on his way out as well

I like the guy but I’d rather trade him for picks mostly due to our financial situation. And there may be several teams that fight over him.