Cliff Avril met with the media after Friday’s practice to discuss the new contract he just signed with the Seahawks, and as you might expect, the defense end was in a pretty good mood, just like linebacker K.J. Wright was a day earlier after signing his new contract.
“I’m happy. I’m happy to know that I’ll be back in Seattle with such a great group of guys; the talent on this team is amazing and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Avril said.
Avril noted that negotiations started in the offseason, but that it just didn’t get done until this week: “We tried to do something after the season last year, and they had different things they had to do to try to get things going. I told my agent not to call me really throughout the season until something was really worth paying attention to. He called me, and voila.”
Unlike some players who want to test their worth in free agency, that didn’t interest Avril, not after there was a pretty cool market when he hit free agency in 2013 and both he and Michael Bennett signed with Seattle on shorter and cheaper-than-expected deals.
“It’s definitely a relief,” Avril said. “I definitely didn’t want to go into free agency. I didn’t like that process two years ago. I like it out here, I love what Coach Carroll is doing, I love the scheme. The guys we have in the locker room make it so fun to play here, then just being in Seattle and the environment we have going, I wanted to keep the party going.”
Asked why he didn’t like free agency, he said, “That was when the market was low, and Mike Bennett and all of us “top” free agents, I guess… The market was low or whatnot, but everything happens for a reason, we were fortunate enough to come in at the same time, and both of us are going to end up being here for a few years.”
Avril likes that both he and Bennett, who re-signed before this season, were able to prove themselves on short-term deals and be rewarded accordingly.
“It speaks a lot about John (Schneider) and Coach Carroll,” Avril said. “Obviously we had to show what we could do. They felt like we could come in and do some things, then they gave Mike all the money last year. I guess they like what we’re doing, what we bring to the team, and I love the way the organization is run, so I’m definitely happy that they decided to keep me around a little bit.”
Asked he thought he’d prove to the Seashawks that he was worth a long-term contract when he came here, Avril said, “I felt like I was going to prove to somebody that I deserved to get a long-term deal. It’s taken a while to get a multi-year deal, but everything happens for a reason. It’s all about timing… It just worked out for me here. I’m definitely happy that they want me back; I’m happy to be back.
With Avril and Wright signing this week, the Seahawks now have those two, plus Bennett, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor all locked up with multi-year deals, ensuring the Seahawks should continue to be one of the league’s top defensive teams.
“It’s awesome, it’s great,” Avril said. “It kind of gives you that college feel. You sign and you go to college and you’re going to be with those guys for four or five years, and just knowing that a lot of us are going to be here for the next few years and are only growing and getting better—I’m probably one of the older guys that have gotten signed—so it’s just cool knowing that the locker room won’t change too much. That’s rare in the NFL.”
Finally, Avril was asked what he’s learned since coming to Seattle, and said, “I’ve learned how to win.” Then after a pause he said, “Oh, sorry Detroit.”
And while some Lions fans may take that as a shot at his former team, it’s worth noting that Avril, who was a rookie on Detroit’s 0-16 team in 2008, won just 22 games in his five seasons with the Lions. So far in less than two full seasons in Seattle, Avril has been on a team that has won 23 regular season games, and 26 total including last year’s postseason run.
“I’ve learned how to approach the game a little different,” he continued. “Obviously the way Coach Carroll runs things is a little different. It’s not really an uptight environment. I enjoy coming to work. Some places it can be hard on you. If you’re losing, coaches don’t want to talk to you, people are worried about their jobs. We just have a great group of guys, and management obviously is doing a great job of how they go about bringing the type of guys they want in here, and it’s just fun to come to work every day.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
