The Detroit Lions were unable to come to terms on a long-term contract extension with defensive end Cliff Avril prior to the 4 p.m. deadline on July 16, which means that the 26-year-old will be forced to play the entirety of the 2012 season under a franchise tender of $10.6 million.
After the deadline came and passed, the Lions front office released a statement about their disappointment in not being able to come to agreement with Avril on a long-term deal. Via the Twitter account of Tim Twentyman:
"After extensive discussions with Cliff and his representative, we were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract by today's 4 p.m. deadline. While we are disappointed that we could not execute a long-term deal, we do look forward to having Cliff with us this season under the terms of the franchise tag."
Avril also released a statement on Monday that expressed disappointment in the situation.
The two sides will not be able to negotiate a long-term contract until next offseason.
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