AP

Anwar Richardson of MLive.com recently suggested that the Lions were far apart in long-term contract talks with defensive end Cliff Avril, who is currently sporting a franchise tag.

The Lions are trying to bridge the gap.

“We’ve been very aggressive in trying to get him done,” club president Tom Lewand said on Monday, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “We’ve had a lot of discussions with his agent. They’ve been very committed, but where it is now, and we’ve had other priorities. We’ll continue to pay mind of getting him extended, just like we will a number of other guys.”

The Lions and Avril have until July 15 to strike a long-term agreement, per NFL franchise tag rules.

Birkett does not expect the parties to reach a deal before the offseason program starts on April 16.