Avril sees things much differently. He wants an actual long-term deal, with a big signing bonus and big base salaries making him a rich man for a long time. He doesn’t want to sign the tender, which means he’s putting the ball back in the Lions’ court.
Avril indicated that he’s not overly worried about the state of negotiations, or his absence from OTAs.
10.6 Million not enough, give me more. Yet i am not selfish or greedy. Today’s athletes are so spoiled. His stats are only that good cause he plays next to Suh. cut him and watch be a bust some where else.
And what a lot of people dont realize is that Avril plays a lot of one on ones, sometimes with just a TE, and 11 sacks is his final number? Its not a bad stat, but given that scenario, he should have more than that if he wants to be paid like a Julius Peppers. We have good depth at DE, so we better not overpay him. Hes weak against the run anyway. Trust me, Willie Young isnt that far off from Avril and can play for a fraction of what Avril wants.
I have to admit 10.6 mil is alot. I also have to admit…if its so easy for them to give him 10.6mill for 1 year….why not pay the guy 30-40 mill for 4 years? Unless they don’t plan on keeping him around after this year anyway.
NFL is a huge business and the money has to go somewhere. Rather the money go to the players I tune in to watch than a bunch of fatcat CEO’s whose only job is to go through paperwork.
This man needs to just sign for the 8 mil/yr the team has probably offered him! Get him back on the field and getting to QB’s.
Avril thinks he deserves Dwight freeney money, when really his worth is closer to ray edwards money. I’m all for the lions strategy, let him play under the franchise tender and see if he can do it again. Six strip sacks is an aberition. If he goes out and does in again you then decide whether you can afford the 12mill a year, or you let him go. You can’t pay everybody, especially with Calvin’s contract.
I don’t blame Avril for trying to get paid. If we have learned anything, it’s that football has a cost and you can’t play forever.
NFL owners pay more people than just the “poor poor players”.
So he thinks he’s worth Trent Cole money? Not even CLOSE!
Why not just sign your $10.6 million contract, bust your hump this upcoming year, and sit back and watch them try to franchise you again.
Show the team your dedicated to putting the time in and that your 11 sack season wasn’t just a one year wonder (playing alongside one of the most talented D-Lines in the game).
I understand the ‘pay me now’ philosophy, and that injuries are always a real possibility, but $10.6 million is enough to live off for quite some time (let alone one year).
If that’s the case dryzzt23, they should have franchised the babysitters and paid them 10.6 mil…………..The Lions got burned signing Cory Redding to a franchise contract after he had 1/2 a good season. This is a good business decision on both sides. Lions get to see if Avril, who has improved every year gets better or at least repeats what he did, with no longterm deal saddled around their necks, and Avril gets 10.6 mil for the year, a chance to show he’s worth that kind of investment to the Lions or another team. If the Lions franchised him again next year the cost would go up and Avril would make like 24 mil in 2 seasons. If he continues to put up numbers he’ll cost them more longterm and the Lions should have done the deal. If Avril gets injured or plays badly it will drive his asking price down and prove to be a mart move by the Lions. Avril is a good player and I don’t think it’s all playing next to Suh, but he’s not Mario Williams or Jared Allen either and is a liabilty against the run.
Another thing is when a franchise tag salary is 10.6 mil a year, it’s unusual to do a deal that’s paying more per year then that unless the guy is the undisputed best at his position. Avril’s asking too much, but hopefully they can get something done. He’s one 3rd round project that has actually worked out for the Lions(rare that happens) and he fits their scheme and does a good job pressuring off the edge.
I wonder if this is another wrinkle of Suh being cross-trained at the right DT spot. Maybe the staff wants to see what kind of impact Avril can have without Suh by his side all game.
Avril is good BECAUSE of Suh and Williams, not because of any stellar individual talent.
There is something to be said for consistency on any line. Everybody knows their place.
He’s a good role player… but the Lions could get others to fill that role. Wouldn’t cry too hard if he walked.
Answer- an average lineman who has a little pass rush ability.
Take your 10M to the bank and be happy with it.
Fans are so stupid. All year the story was “Suh isn’t playing well!” but now it’s “Avril is only good cause he played next to Suh!” So which is it?
Might give him 6mil a year with 10mill out right to him for 7 years he will have time for one more that 42mill.
as a lions fan, the thing that would make me want to pay Avril is his ability or nack for stripping the ball out while sacking the QB. He directly had an impact on us winning 2 games last year. That’s worth some dollars so long as he can repeat it. I would love to keep him but with so many other expensive play makers it doesn’t seem possible.
he was a free agent last year and no one wanted him even when money was not the issue and the lions resinged him but now he thinks hes worth all this money all of a sudden come on dude,these guys sit here with a 1 year deal worth 10 and a half millon dallors,I repeat for all you NFL guys that are slow 10 and a half MILLION dallors when there are guys who would love to play is this leauge and would smile all the way to the back with a 1 year 100 thousand dallor contract if he had the chance my point is get over yourselfi would bet 10 to 1 that given the chance willie young will get 12 to 15 sacks coming off that edge with Suh.
if you give him all that money then you take the chance of losing Delmus next year and how do you resign stafford the yearafter that, that money has to be spent at the right time on the right players and this guys not the one.