Cliff Avril

Avril was expected to see fewer snaps last season than in 2014 to keep him fresher, but he ended up playing 105 more snaps. The increase didn't hurt him. On the contrary, it helped him turn in one of his best seasons as a pro. He had nine sacks, his most since 2012, and a career-high 47 tackles. He also had 27 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for loss. Avril likely will play another 750-plus snaps this season, as Cassius Marsh is the only other RDE in the D-Line rotation, and he is expected to see time at outside linebacker, as well. Avril's IDP prospects, though, are hurt by his lack of tackle opportunities.

Had Avril not suffered a concussion late in the Super Bowl, Seattle's repeat hopes might not have come down to an ill-fated play from the one-yard line. Lack of D-Line depth last season forced Avril to play 150 more snaps than in 2013, hurting his effectiveness. Better depth this season should keep Avril fresher, which might mean a bounce-back from last season's career-low-tying five sacks. Avril is an excellent pass rusher, but he'll never have the opportunity for a lot of tackles.

Avril was a key member of the Seahawks' defensive line rotation last season, totaling eight sacks, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He doesn't have the opportunity to make many tackles (20 last year), but he'll again be counted on to provide a pass rush on a line that lost 11.5 sacks in free agency.

Avril will provide much-needed insurance for the Seahawks, as Chris Clemons is recovering from a January ACL tear. Avril should flirt with double-digit sacks in 2013. Seattle's defense struggled with quarterback pressure last season, and Avril was signed to remedy that flaw. Expect him to see a lot of snaps this season even if Clemons is healthy.

Even if he’s generally not likely to surpass the 40-tackle mark, it’s still perfectly clear at this point Avril has arrived as a standout NFL pass rusher. He has 19.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in his last 29 games, which projects to 11 sacks and four forced fumbles over 16 games, demonstrating that his 2011 total of 11 sacks and six forced fumbles was no fluke. With Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley playing alongside him, offenses will almost never have the freedom to double-team Avril.

Even with Kyle Vanden Bosch and Lawrence Jackson around, Avril should get enough snaps to make an IDP impact in deeper leagues. His upside is limited due to some durability concerns (he’s missed six games the last two years) as well as the fact that he’s primarily a pass-rushing specialist, but Avril is generally effective at getting to the quarterback when he is on the field. He had 8.5 sacks in just 13 games last year, and with most of the blocking attention going to Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, Avril will definitely have favorable matchups on the edge.

Avril will likely get the nod as a starter to begin the season, but won't have a lot of margin for error as Jared DeVries will be pushing for playing time. If he can keep the job, Avril should be able to put up solid sack and tackling numbers.

Avril will see time along the line and at outside linebacker this coming season.

Avril is a speed rusher who will start his rookie campaign on the sideline as a backup.