The Detroit Lions has 23 potential free agents this off-season. But with little cap space to maneuver with, it appears the Lions will have to get cheaper deals or attempt to replace players through the draft.
One option teams always have to keep their own players is the franchise tag. But according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions will not be using that tag this season.
While they don’t have many candidates for the tag to begin with, one that at least comes to mind is defensive end Cliff Avril. Avril if you remember, was tagged last off-season when the team couldn’t reach a long-term deal with the player.
While it appears the two sides have been working on a long-term deal, it is clear they will have to reach one or Avril could be taking his talents elsewhere.