Just one day after signing K.J. Wright to a 4-year extension, the Seahawks have followed up by inking DE Cliff Avril to a multi-year deal. The extension is worth $28.5M over the next four years, with $16M guaranteed.
Avril has 12.5 sacks across 29 games for the Seahawks and continues to thrive in his role. He’s currently 4th in the NFL with 38 QB hurries, which may be somewhat of a silly stat, but it shows how often he’s able to bring pressure from the edge. Avril’s speed has been a factor in getting around opposing team’s tackles, and with Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell locking down receivers in press coverage, it leaves Avril with consistently more time than he could ever need to get sacks and big hits.
One key piece on the Seahawks’ defense still looks to hit free agency in the off-season, and that’s Byron Maxwell. The team has incredible depth at CB when healthy, and Maxwell has shown great versatility by playing well on the outside and in the slot. Whether or not he’ll join Wright and Avril as the latest Seahawk defender to get a big contract extension remains to be seen.
