Potential Patriot - Lions' Cliff Avril 43DE/34OLB - New England Patriots Forums

NinjaZX6R · 02-17-2012, 09:37 AM

Cliff Avril 6'3 260 LBS.

DE for the Lions. Could play 34 OLB. He has dropped a couple of times in zone blitzes. Has had 12 PDs in 4 years (0,3,5,4)

Quote:

“There’s no such thing as a hometown discount in the NFL,” Avril said, via the Detroit Free Press. “Once you can’t play anymore, they’re going to let you go, so you definitely have to strike gold when you can.”

Avril has said he doesn’t want to be franchised, but he still holds out hope that the Lions will show him the money on a long-term contract. If the Lions don’t do that, Avril suggested that other teams have already made their intentions clear.

“I kind of think the Lions will try to do the right thing, I guess,” he said. “A lot of teams don’t think the Lions will let me hit free agency. But a few teams have called.”

Lions’ Cliff Avril dismisses hometown discounts, hints at tampering | ProFootballTalk

Thoughts?

RayClay · 02-17-2012, 09:42 AM

Quote:

you definitely have to strike gold when you can.

Always a good sign.

ivanvamp · 02-17-2012, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NinjaZX6R

Cliff Avril 6'3 260 LBS.

DE for the Lions. Could play 34 OLB. He has dropped a couple of times in zone blitzes. Has had 12 PDs in 4 years (0,3,5,4)

Lions’ Cliff Avril dismisses hometown discounts, hints at tampering | ProFootballTalk

Thoughts?

I'm already on record as stating that this is a guy the Pats should at least pursue. Might he end up being too expensive? Sure, that's very possible. But he's a talented player that can really get after the QB. 8.5 sacks in 2010, and 11.0 sacks this past year. Will be 26 years old next season.

tatepatsfan · 02-17-2012, 09:43 AM

He's a very good player, but as he's said himself, he wants a big payday. I think he'd be good for our defense, given his production and flexibility, but he'll probably cost too much. Plus, if we are going to spend big, big bucks on that type of player, I'd rather go after Mario Williams.

Snake Eyes · 02-17-2012, 10:14 AM

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Originally Posted by tatepatsfan

He's a very good player, but as he's said himself, he wants a big payday. I think he'd be good for our defense, given his production and flexibility, but he'll probably cost too much. Plus, if we are going to spend big, big bucks on that type of player, I'd rather go after Mario Williams.

He said he won't give a homtown discount, that's not necessarily the same as expecting a huge payday. That said, it looks like Welker and Brees aren't looking to give a hometown discount either.

I'd give signing him serious consideration, he's productive and pretty young. If the money can work I'd rather take a chance on him, someone who's proven they can play at the NFL level, than a college guy who has yet to take a single snap in the NFL.

***BradyFTW!*** · 02-17-2012, 10:21 AM

Sounds like he won't come cheap, but probably worth a look, at least, anyways. Hell of a player.

JackBauer · 02-17-2012, 10:24 AM

Might be a better value at his price point than Mario Williams.

Worth scoping it out, at the very least.

***Deus Irae*** · 02-17-2012, 10:26 AM

His numbers jumped when Suh arrived on the scene. Teams will have to decide how much of that is Avril's development, and how much is having Suh making things easy for him.

VrabelJr · 02-17-2012, 10:39 AM

I'm not so sure about this guy. Being how obsessed he is with cashing in asap I think it's pretty obvious that even he knows he is benefitting statistically by being on a D Line with Suh, Williams, and Vanden Bosch.

PatsFan2 · 02-17-2012, 10:53 AM

I love these threads i am sure Four years ago many would say that Cliff Avril wouldn't fit our overrated system but as FA he does.

That 2008 draft later on was Terrible for the Patriots after Jerod Mayo. Round 2 = Wheatley Round 3 = Shawn Crabel and QB Kevin O'Connell. Imagined if we had REACHED for Cliff Avril he would have been a Great pick over who we selected.