Cliff Avril on re-signing with Lions: 'It's 50-50'

Free agency is still nearly a month away, but it seems like most Detroit Lions fans have written off the chances of defensive end Cliff Avril being re-signed for some time now. Avril and the Lions failed to agree to a long-term deal last offseason, and he ended up getting the franchise tag as a result. This year, no franchise tag is expected, meaning Avril should hit the open market. The expectation is for Avril to cash in on a big contract from another team, as the Lions probably won't have enough cap room to match the offers he gets.

Avril was asked about the chances of him re-signing with the Lions during an interview with NBC Sports Network's Pro Football Talk on Wednesday. Avril admitted that he really has no idea what will happen, but he pegged the odds of him staying in Detroit as "50-50." Here is a look at what he said via the Detroit News:

"Your guess is as good as mine," Avril said when asked what percent chance was there of him re-signing with the Lions. "I guess it's 50-50. I don't know right now. We're waiting to see what's going to go down. There's a little less than a month to figure some things out. I hope we get it done."

Perhaps the most notable thing Avril said during the interview was that money is going to be the top priority when it comes to deciding on where to sign. He didn't sound keen on the idea of taking a hometown discount to stay with the Lions, and I can't really blame him. As Avril said, players really only get to hit free agency in their prime once, so you have to make the most of it. I have no issue with Avril wanting to maximize his worth, even though that means the chances of him re-signing with the Lions are slim.

You can watch the full interview below.

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