Avril says he might hold out if Lions tag him

[.infamous]

Defensive end Cliff Avril said he will contemplate holding out from the Detroit Lions' offseason program and training camp if the team uses its franchise tag on him rather than negotiate a long-term deal.

"There's a lot of different possibilities, and that's one of the possibilities -- not showing up," Avril told the Detroit Free Press on Saturday. "But we don't know. That's not the plan, obviously. But there's a lot of different possibilities, and that's definitely one of them."

The Lions can use the franchise tag on Avril to keep him off the market with a one-year deal for the average of the five highest-paid defensive ends as soon as Monday or as late as March 5.

"I don't want to be franchised," Avril told the newspaper. "That's basically what I got last year. The (restricted free-agent) tender was basically the same thing. I just want security and longevity."

General manager Martin Mayhew has said publicly he doesn't plan to use the franchise tag but the Free Press reported Friday, citing unnamed sources, that the Lions are likely to apply their franchise tender to Avril if they can't agree to a long-term deal.

Avril recorded a career-high 11 sacks in his fourth year with the Lions. He also forced six fumbles.


The Lions have said they want to keep Avril for the long haul, but his agent doesn't sound encouraged by how negotiations have gone so far.

"Talks are going very slowly," Brian Mackler, Avril's agent, said Friday, refusing to get into details.

Avril was drafted in the third round out of Purdue in 2008. His rookie season was forgettable. He started four games but Detroit went 0-16. Since then, he's made steady progress while remaining somewhat under the radar.


The 25-year-old defensive end has 30 sacks in 57 career games.

 

[RipCity32]

Starting to dislike Cliff.

 

[kam.]

Starting to dislike Cliff.

He plays a dangerous sport.. He could lose his career on the first play.. So hes suppose to give up money just to be back in Detroit on time?

How selfish of the Fans.

 

[elcheato]

Every play wants long term security. This is not uncommon

 

[RipCity32]

He plays a dangerous sport.. He could lose his career on the first play.. So hes suppose to give up money just to be back in Detroit on time?

How selfish of the Fans.

I don't care who you are. Holding out is a childish move.

 

[kam.]

I don't care who you are. Holding out is a childish move.

How? You wouldn't hold out?

Its not like he'll be T.O a be doing Situps in his driveway for TV Reporters talking trash about the team. He's holding out for a better contract. Considering that most people don't feel like hes worth whatever he'll get this offseason due to better people being around him and boosting his stats. He SHOULD hold out and get as much as he can.

Fans like you who think its childish and stupid is what piss me off. You strap on a helmet and risk working again for whatever hes getting paid now when you could be getting the chance to making MILLIONS more. You wouldn't hold out? Child fucking please. Everybody would hold out.

Show me one person that wouldn't, and I'll show you either a retarded person or a liar.

 

[RipCity32]

Lol. He is going to make like 11 million with a franchise tag. That's enough to support himself for the rest of his life. It's not like he isn't going to paid. He isn't the first to get tagged, and wont be the last. It's the way the business is ran. Stop bitching about it.

 

[kam.]

He is going to make like 11 million with a franchise tag. That's enough to support himself for the rest of his life.

Please tell me you're fucking joking.

11 Million isn't going to support nobody for the rest of their life.

Fuck, Hammer blew 30 Million in a couple of years.

Flavor Flav blew like 5.7 Million on drugs in 6 years alone. 11 million isn't going to help nobody.

BC blows 6 Million a year on Hair Care products alone.

 

[RipCity32]

I could easily live the rest of my life off 11 million.
Is 11 million going to support his lavish lifestyle? No.
You don't need more than 100 grand a year to live your life more than comfortably.

 

[kam.]

& Especially in a business where you can actually paralyze yourself and not work again. Shit, I'd hold out till however long I needed to. With the NFL rules, hes obviously not going to miss any games because he'll be fined out the ass.. but still.. Fans need to stop being so fucking selfish. It isn't your career.

 

[kam.]

I could easily live the rest of my life off 11 million.
Is 11 million going to support his lavish lifestyle? No.
You don't need more than 100 grand a year to live your life more than comfortably.

False.

 

[RipCity32]

False.

Lol no. My dad makes like 90 grand a year, and me and my 3 siblings and mom live extremely comfortably. Most consider us almost upper class.

 

[kam.]

Lol no. My dad makes like 90 grand a year, and me and my 3 siblings and mom live extremely comfortably. Most consider us almost upper class.

All because you live comfortably doesn't mean anybody can on that type of money. Sorry.

 

[RipCity32]

Like I said, 11 million might not support what is probably his lavish lifestyle. But if so happened he only had 11 million to live on, he could easily live off that. If he didn't manage him money like a moron.

 

[kam.]

Like I said, 11 million might not support what is probably his lavish lifestyle. But if so happened he only had 11 million to live on, he could easily live off that. If he didn't manage him money like a moron.

So he manages his money like a moron now because he doesn't budget himself to like 100k? C'mon. You get 11 Million and what would you do? Certainly not fucking budget it. You'd want shit you've never been able to get.

 

[RipCity32]

He's been making millions though. If I came across 11 million for one year, I would more than certainly budget it. I wouldn't have to work a day in my life and I would live a great life with that money, for my entire life.

 

[kam.]

He hasn't been making Millions.

His contract he signed for as a rookie was for : $1,634,000

Signing Bonus: $484,000

2008: $295,000

2009: $385,000

2010: 470,000 ..

He never got a million at once.

 

[RipCity32]

It's really beyond the point though. He has been living comfortably. And with 11 million, there would be no reason he couldn't continue to do so.

 

[kam.]

It's really beyond the point though. He has been living comfortably. And with 11 million, there would be no reason he couldn't continue to do so.

So what does it matter to you if he holds out? He isn't take food out of your mouth. Hes getting what he feels hes worth. & You should be happy that hes waiting for a deal to actually keep him in detroit longer than a year.

 

[RipCity32]

I'm not really concerned if he stays. Holding out is just childish and dumb for any athlete to me.