Cliff Avril quietly having one of the best seasons of his career

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril has been an excellent free agent acquisition, and might be enjoying the best year of his NFL career in 2016…

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril has made a living out of terrorizing quarterbacks, and 2016 might be the best year he’s had yet.

Avril’s 2011 season with the Detroit Lions is statistically his best so far — 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and an interception returned for a touchdown — but with five games left to play in 2016, Avril has 10 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Already in his ninth season (which is hard to believe), Avril has proven to be one of the best in the NFL at popping the ball loose when he gets to the quarterback. In his career, he’s forced 28 fumbles and has never gone a year without at least one.

Perhaps even more impressive than that are the sack numbers he puts up on a consistent basis. Over nine seasons, Avril has racked up 71.5 sacks, averaging just under eight sacks per season. For his career, he essentially averages eight sacks and three forced fumbles per year.

Not bad, and it’s why Avril got $16 million guaranteed in a contract from the Seahawks a couple of years ago.

It might not be flashy, but he’s consistent, and one of the league’s best.

His burst off the line is excellent, but Avril can beat tackles in a variety of ways.

Just don’t get into third-and-long situations against him. Yikes…

His 10 sacks this season are currently tied for 2nd in the NFL behind Von Miller’s 12.5 with the Denver Broncos, and his four forced fumbles are tied for the best in the NFL.

Opposing quarterbacks, beware…