Free-agent defensive end Cliff Avril signed with the Seattle Seahawks.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks continued their offseason haul towards a possible championship by agreeing to a deal with free agent defensive end Cliff Avril on Wednesday, NFL.com reports.

The deal is for two years and $15 million. Avril turned down a three-year, $30 million deal last season. Avril was considered by some as the top free agent in the market.

Avril, who played with the Detroit Lions last season, has 29 sacks, and nine forced fumbles over the last three seasons. In 2012, Avril had 28 tackles and 9.5 sacks.

Avril was given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Lions, paying him $10.6 million last season.

The Seahawks upgraded their offensive talent by trading for former Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin earlier this week. The team then signed him to a six-year, $67 million contract, with $25.5 million guaranteed.

Cliff Avril has agreed to terms with Seattle, per source.—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 13, 2013

Lions defensive end Cliff Avril wants a big contract this offseason.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril believes he is one of the top defensive players in the NFL. And he wants to start getting paid like it.

Avril says he is looking for a deal close to what Mario Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills last offseason. Williams signed a six-year, $100 million contract with $50 million in guaranteed money.

Avril, 26, turned down a three-year, $30 million deal prior to last season and chose to play under the $10.6 million franchise tag.

“Anything is possible,” Avril said, via mLive.com. ”I would love to get Mario’s deal. Who wouldn’t? Those are some great numbers. My thing is I want to keep getting better. I’m still young. I’m only 26 years old. The sky is the limit as far as that. Those are some great numbers, hopefully we can get somewhere near there.”

Avril had 35 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Lions last season.

Cliff Avril is not participating in the Detroit Lions’ offseason program while he hopes for a long-term deal from the team. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who the team placed its franchise tender on earlier this offseason, remained optimistic about the possibility of agreeing with the team on a long-term deal before the July 16 deadline.

“You have to ask him (if Avril will show up next week),” Lewand said from The 22nd annual Detroit Lions Invitational golf outing at TPC Michigan. “Obviously, we have the tender on Cliff, and he’s welcome to sign that anytime he wants. We’ll continue discussion on whether we can convert that into something on a long-term basis, but really in many ways of the tender, the ball is in his court.”

Avril, who is not participating in the Lions’ offseason program, joked that he and Lewand were “passing back and forth.”

Avril and the Lions have a July 16 deadline to work out a long-term deal. If they don’t, Avril could only sign with Detroit — no other NFL teams — for the next year. He would then become a free agent again next year. That means if he wants to play this season, he would likely have to sign the one-year, $10.6 million franchise tender.

“It’s up to Tom,” Avril told the Free Press. “It’s up to Tom, and see where we can go with that.”

Falcons players have said that Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh taunted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as he lay in pain on the field, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ryan turned out to be fine, but Suh’s reputation has certainly taken a hit, at least in the Falcons’ locker room.

“I had respect for Suh before the game,” center Todd McClure told the AJC. “But when Matt was on the ground, the things he was saying and the trash he was talking was definitely uncalled for. There are certain things you don’t do. (He said), ‘Get the cart’ and several other things that I can’t repeat.”

Suh’s fellow defensive lineman, Cliff Avril, also got in on the act, according to Falcons players.

“I lost a whole lot of respect for 90 (Suh) today, and also 92 (Avril), the (expletive) they were doing when Matt got hurt,” wide receiver Roddy White said. “That was unacceptable. Like 92 was kicking (Ryan’s) feet, saying, ‘Get him off the field.’ We don’t do stuff like that. We don’t rally over guys when they get hurt. It was just inappropriate behavior. I mean, ‘Get the cart’? Are you serious? Come on. When you compete, you never want to see a guy get hurt.”

Neither Suh or Avril were available after the game for comment.