Lions defensive end Cliff Avril said Tuesday he'd be willing to make a position switch to linebacker. Avril, a free agent this offseason, was a guest on "Detroit Man's Room," an affiliate of blogtalkradio.com. "I feel like I'm an athlete; I can do a lot of different things to help the team out," Avril said. "Just a different look here and there so teams don't get comfortable or complacent. Throw different wrinkles here and there." The 25-year-old former Purdue standout started 12 games at strong-side linebacker in college, 23 at left defensive end, and said he maintains his habit of playing offseason pickup basketball games to increase his mobility. It seems unlikely the Lions would use Avril as a full-time linebacker, assuming he'll re-sign with the team. But linebacker could end up being a position of need this offseason if general manager Martin Mayhew is unable to re-sign starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, another free agent. Source: Detroit News
