March 02--Ndamukong Suh appears headed to the open market, and the star defensive tackle will be the most coveted NFL free agent available unless the Detroit Lions are able to strike a deal to keep him in place in the next week.
The Lions' website reported Monday morning that the team will not use the franchise tag to secure Suh for the 2015 season. That announcement was hardly surprising considering it would have come at a price tag of $26.9 million -- or nearly 19 percent of the team's total cap space for the coming season. The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise tag is 3 p.m. CT today.
The Lions could have kept Suh, 28, in place with the tag but there would have been no guarantee he would have remained beyond 2015 and it would have crippled the team's cap situation. General manager Martin Mayhew spoke with confidence last month at the NFL scouting combine about the possibility of re-signing Suh, who seeks to become the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
Free agency opens March 10 and a three-day negotiating window opens Saturday, a period in which other teams will be able to talk to Suh's representatives about a deal.
It would be surprising if the Chicago Bears were in conversations regarding Suh. While Suh has the talent to fit any defensive scheme, he's probably best suited to a 4-3 and signing Suh would put real limits on what other moves a team with many needs (such as the Bears) could accomplish.
Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt is the highest-paid defensive player in the league with a contract that averages $16.7 million per season. The Lions are reported to have about $18 million in cap space, a figure that can always move.
Suh has been first-team All-Pro three times in his career. He had 8 1/2 sacks last season when the Lions had the top-ranked run defense in the NFL.
