Lions Free Agency 2012: Cliff Avril Staying In Detroit With Franchise Tag

For more free agency updates, head to SB Nation’s Loins blog, Pride of Detroit.

The two sides continue to negotiate on a long-term deal to keep Avril from going anywhere. They have until July 15 to come up with a deal or else Avril has to play the year on the franchise tender. Avril previously indicated he wouldn’t be giving the Lions a hometown discount, so it will likely be expensive to keep him for an extended time.

Avril has shined on a defensive line full of stars. He was originally a third-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft and comes off his best year as a pro with 11 sacks. The Lions defensive line is scary, and keeping Avril should continue that. He’s only 25 years old, so he could be just getting started.

Avril is coming off the best season of his young career with 11 sacks in 2011, improving his sack total in every season since he was drafted by the Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Lions hope to reach an agreement prior to the 4 p.m. ET franchise tag deadline on Monday.

For more on the Lions offseason, head over to the SB Nation blog Pride Of Detroit or visit SB Nation Detroit.

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times reported on Friday that unless a contract breakthrough occurs over the weekend, the Lions plan to place the franchise tag on Avril on Monday. The tag for Avril would carry with it a $10.6 million salary. The Lions would have the 2012 offseason to attempt to negotiate a contract extension with their star DE.

For more on the Lions offseason, head over to the SB Nation blog Pride Of Detroit or visit SB Nation Detroit.

Avril previously said there is no such thing as a “hometown discount” in contract talks and seemed eager to test out the open market. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that the two sides are expected to meet on Saturday and that no decision has been made regarding the franchise tag option.

The idea for the Lions is to get both Avril and Johnson back in the most cost-effective way for 2012. It remains to be seen whether that will include franchising Avril.

Although Avril is being pragmatic regarding both his and the team’s situation, he did comment that if it were a tiebreak situation, he would give the nod to Detroit.

Lions fans will certainly be hoping that the team will be able to entice Avril to stay, but there is a very real chance that a team in need of a defensive boost has more cap room and more to offer during the offseason.