The Detroit Lions on Monday announced that they would not be using the franchise tag on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who will become an unrestricted free agent on March 10 unless he and the Lions can work out a new long-term contract before then.
Suh would have counted nearly $27 million against the salary cap had the Lions applied the franchise tag, a staggering figure for a team that already has signed quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson to sizable contracts. Per ESPN.com, Detroit General Manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand have long been confident that they can sign Suh to a new contract. Suh has said he wants to become the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
Should Suh make it to that far, he will become one of the most sought-after free agents in recent memory. In his five NFL seasons, Suh has made the Pro Bowl and been named first-team All-Pro four times. He has played 78 of a possible 80 regular season games over his career, with 36 sacks and 13 pass breakups. The only two games he has missed in his career were because of a suspension for stomping on a Green Bay Packers player during the 2011 season.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are among the teams with the salary cap space to lure Suh away from Detroit.
After spending the first 17 years of his Post career writing and editing, Matt and the printed paper had an amicable divorce in 2014. He's now blogging and editing for the Early Lead and the Post's other Web-based products.
No comments:
Post a Comment