Franchise players across the NFL are running out of time.
Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril is among a group of players facing Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to sign a multiyear contract extension, or play the season on a one-year deal.
Avril -- like every one of these players seeking a new pact -- has used the word "optimistic" to describe negotiations, but his tone grew darker on Saturday.
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"I'm hopeful, but I don't know," Avril told the Detroit Free Press. "I'm not getting a good vibe, let's put it that way. But I'm hopeful."
Avril's agent, Brian Mackler, has been locked in a stalemate with the Lions for months. Avril told NFL Sirius XM Radio this week that everything was going smoothly, save for a few items "that need to be ironed out, like the numbers." (Slightly ominous.)
Avril said earlier this offseason he would play the season under the team's $10.6 million tender. He's an important piece of the puzzle in Detroit, but the Lions don't appear anxious to stray from a one-year deal. Drew Breesworked out his issues with the New Orleans Saints. Matt Forte could be next. This one seems to be in the weeds.
