The negotiations between the Detroit Lions and defensive end Cliff Avril may be moving slowly, but things are certainly heating up in the press. In the last 24 hours, a few stories about the negotiations have come out, starting first with the news from Avril's agent that the talks were not progressing very quickly. Shortly after that, it came out in the Detroit Free Press that the Lions likely will place the franchise tag on Avril if a deal isn't worked out by March 5 (the deadline for tags to be used).

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It turns out two defensive assistants have exited the coaching staff of the Detroit Lions this offseason. The first, Brandon Fisher, departed to work with the St. Louis Rams, which hired Jeff Fisher, his dad. The other defensive assistant to exit is Don Clemons, who decided to retire from coaching on Friday. Tim Twentyman spoke with Clemons about his decision to walk away from the game.

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Cliff Avril day here on Pride of Detroit continues ...

Today has been a busy day of news relating to defensive end Cliff Avril. We have had talk about teams potentially tampering with him, if he would accept a hometown discount or not and where the negotiations stand between him and the Detroit Lions. Now we have more news, this time coming from the other side of the negotiating table.

Dave Birkett is reporting that the Lions will likely franchise Avril if a long-term deal isn't reached with him. Although Martin Mayhew has said before that he didn't plan on using the franchise tag, he also said "you never know what might happen." He left the door open for Avril to be franchised, and it looks like a more and more likely option based on the fact that negotiations are moving slowly.

Just because Avril receives the franchise tag doesn't mean he will end up on a one-year deal for 2012. As Avril himself said later in the article, this would give the Lions more time to negotiate and keep him off the open market. While other teams could still negotiate with Avril if he is given the non-exclusive franchise tag, the Lions would have the ability to match any offer or receive two first-round picks if the offer was not matched.

Former Detroit Lions running back Aaron Brown has landed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The team (the Bengals, that is) announced the move this afternoon:

Brown was originally let go by the Lions during the final round of NFL roster cuts last September. He was released in order to make room on the roster for running back Keiland Williams, who the Lions claimed off waivers.

Brown returned to the Lions at the end of November when running back Jahvid Best was placed on injured reserve. Brown was let go again a month later when the Lions signed running back Joique Bell off the New Orleans Saints practice squad. That ended his second stint with the Lions. His first stint spanned the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

It is apparently Cliff Avril day here on Pride of Detroit.

Free agency is a few weeks away, but teams can start using the franchise tag next Monday. The deadline to place the tag on a player is March 5, eight days before free agency begins. Although Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has said in the past that he doesn't have any plans on using the franchise tag this year, it may be necessary if he wants Cliff Avril to be playing in Detroit next season.

Although there is still a lot of time for negotiations to happen, Avril's agent, Brian Mackler, told the Associated Press today that contract talks with the Lions are moving "very slowly" right now. This obviously isn't a good sign for a long-term deal being worked out before the franchise tag comes into play. I'm sure the Lions would prefer to avoid the franchise tag and get something done before it comes to that. Avril would also like to avoid the franchise tag and get something of the long-term variety done.

As with most negotiations, talks often don't progress until the pressure is on and time is running out. For the Lions and Avril, they have until March 5 to get something done and avoid the franchise tag. If they can't get a new deal worked out by then, the Lions will have to decide if they want to tag Avril or run the risk of losing him in free agency.

If the Detroit Lions are going to re-sign defensive end Cliff Avril, they are going to have to give him a deal that is competitive with the market value for a player like him. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise by any means, but Avril confirmed this week that he has no interest in accepting a deal that is considered a hometown discount. He is coming off of a career season and has every intention of getting the best deal he can.

Avril is absolutely correct in trying to maximize his value. As he mentioned, opportunities like this rarely come along during a football player's career. The chance to potentially hit the open market after having such an outstanding season is one that should be fully taken advantage of, and Avril deserves to be paid.

Whether or not the Lions will be the team paying him remains to be seen. If he hits the open market, I highly doubt the Lions will be able to offer him a deal that is enough to bring him back. Of course, they could always franchise him, which would likely make him a lock to return in 2012.

It's pretty common knowledge around NFL circles that tampering goes on quite a bit. At the NFL Combine next week, for example, quite a bit of tampering is expected to take place. With so many front-office personnel and agents in one place, it's bound to happen.

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If there were still any questions about where offensive tackle Jeff Backus will be playing next season, they were answered earlier this week by Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand. During a call with season ticket holders, Lewand talked about Backus and reiterated that the Lions want to bring him back. Lewand mentioned that Backus has been through a lot, and with things finally moving in the right direction for the franchise, they especially want him to be a part of it going forward.

Lewand also talked about the injury Backus sustained -- a torn biceps muscle -- in the Lions' loss to the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs. According to Lewand, Backus is on a timetable that should have him ready for training camp next summer.

Out of all the players set to become free agents this offseason for the Lions, I don't think anybody outside of Don Muhlbach is as much of a lock to return as Backus. He has spent his entire career with the Lions, and with nobody currently on the roster ready to step in for him at left tackle, there's no sense in not re-signing him.