Cliff Avril Rumors & News

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports takes a look at the most pressing need for every NFL team. Of course, for the Seattle Seahawks the most pressing need centers on how the team will create consistent pressure on the quarterback, particularly with the latest news that Bruce Irvin has been suspended for the first four games of 2013 after violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. Prisco: “Can the signings of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett compensate for the loss of Chris Clemons, who suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs? Avril had a bit of a disappointing season for … Read more »

The Seahawks didn't select a single LB in the draft, Leroy Hill is probably getting arrested as I write this, Malcolm Smith is unproven and not even the most diehard Seahawks' fans know what numbers Korey Toomer, Allen Bradford and Mike Morgan wear. This leaves a lot of uncertainty about the WLB position. This uncertainty has even caused some people to suggest that Cliff Avril or Bruce Irvin should be moved to SLB while K.J. Wright slides over to WLB. This talk could be more excitement about Irvin/Avril than it is lack of faith that Smith can replace Hill, but regardless, these people ...

8:54 Mike: Ziggy Ansah is loved by Jim Washburn. He's a good fit for the Wide 9 as he proved at the Senior Bowl. He is basically the only defensive end on the team with Kyle Vanden Bosch, Lawrence Jackson and Cliff Avril, either on the street or in a new city. Ansah will probably be joined by another defensive end in the middle rounds. Mike Mayock went as far as to say he would be an All-Pro or on the street within the next three years. This kid has monster potential but does not know what a 3-point stance is. 8:48 p.m. Dan: Lane Johnson it is. I was hoping to trade this pick, and no d...

Several reports over the past few days have linked free agent DE John Abraham back again to the Seahawks, which is surprising news given that Seattle has already signed Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. There had been unreliable and unsubstantiated whispers of this on Twitter back on Tuesday, but I didn't really perk up and pay attention closely until those rumors were somewhat substantiated on Wednesday by Dave "Softy" Mahler, who reported on the air that he had heard the Seahawks are still "kicking the tires" on John Abraham. According to Mahler, he wasn't told the interest level, "ju...

Former Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril expected a few more phone calls after leaving Motown.

A year ago, the Detroit Lions put the franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril when the two sides were unable to work out a long-term deal. At the time, the Lions were hoping to eventually get Avril a new deal, but it seems their mindset changed during the season. When free agency arrived this year, there was no real sense of urgency to get Avril a new deal, and it turns out he didn't even receive an offer from the Lions to return. From the Free Press: "I just didn't get that vibe," he said. "Like I said, there wasn't really an offer, there wasn't much communication. I kind of took...

The free agent defensive end market has been pretty soft thus far, to put it mildly. Players like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett took far less than they would have just a year ago, and perfectly useful pass rushers like John Abraham and Osi Umenyiora have attracted scant interest on the open market. If everything breaks the way Tom Condo hopes it will, that may not be true much longer. Condon is hoping to get Elvis Dumervil, Osi and Dwight Freeney, his three clients left on the market, on teams by the middle of the upcoming week. The Denver Post took a look at the comparative levels o...

When NFL free agency opened, the Detroit Lions didn't make a legitimate attempt to re-sign defensive end Cliff Avril. Money had a lot to do with that, as Lions general manager Martin Mayhew believes that it would have cost them the ability to sign two players just to retain Avril. Another factor in the Lions' decision to go in another direction may have simply been Avril's skill set. He excelled in the Lions' scheme, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Lions excelled as a team on the defensive line. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz actually thinks that new defensive end Jason Jones, who...