Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril said he would be in town for the start of the team's offseason program which began Monday, but without a new contract Avril did not show up for the voluntary workouts.
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Avril and the Lions have been negotiating a long-term contract for the starting defensive end who said that he had no immediate plans to sign his one-year franchise-tag tender.
Avril is not required to take part in any offseason workout without a signed agreement in place.
"Cliff is like any other player who is in the last year of his contract," Lions President Tom Lewand told MLive.com. "He's on a one-year deal for $10.6 million. There's no secret about that. We like Cliff. There's no secret about that. We would not have tagged him if we didn't. We want Cliff around."
If Avril and the Lions fail to work out a new deal before the contract deadline of July 15, he would be forced to play the 2012 season under a one-year deal.
"I think we're going to continue to try and get something done hopefully and we'll see how it goes," Avril told the Detroit Free Press.
Avril started all 16 games for the Lions last season recording 36 tackles and a career high 11 sacks.
