Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions elected not to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and thus the bidding will begin for the All-Pro when free agency begins March 10.
Per Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports, the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts are the teams expected to pursue Suh the hardest. Quoting multiple sources, Getlin writes:
The guarantees in Suh's next contract could approach, and potentially exceed $60 million, those sources said. A deal in that neighborhood would top Houston [Texans'] J.J. Watt, who got a $100 million deal that guaranteed a reported $51.8 million, a record for a defensive player. As free agency nears Tuesday, a source close to Suh's camp indicated Suh had a slight preference for Miami, though the Detroit Lions and Colts aren't far behind.
It may be unfair to compare Suh to Watt. No defensive player is as dominant as the Texans' versatile star. That said, Suh is one of the elite defensive tackles in the game. While the early rumblings might imply that Suh is leaning toward the Dolphins, a star on the other side of the ball may ultimately determine where Suh signs.
While the Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill has certainly made strides since he broke into the league, he doesn't compare to the Colts' Andrew Luck. If Suh wants to align himself with a team with more pieces in place to win a Super Bowl, it starts with stability at quarterback.
As young signal-callers go, it doesn't get much better than Luck.
Trent Cole
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images Despite being recently released by the Philadelphia Eagles, Trent Cole is drawing a lot of interest already. NFL.com's Jason La Canfora names two teams that will be interested in signing Cole.
The 32-year-old had 6.5 sacks in 2014. That's a decent season but a far cry from the production he put up from 2007-2011, when he averaged 10 sacks per season.
Cole still likely has some gas left in the tank, but he's in his 30s. He'll have to settle for a short-term deal. Of the two teams reportedly showing interest, it would seem the San Francisco 49ers might have the inside track.
The Niners defense still has pieces in place for the unit to be elite next season. Adding a fresh face like Cole could make it even better. If Cole wants to win and it comes down the the Niners and the New York Jets, he'd be crazy not to sign with the Niners.
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images Seemingly destined to become an unrestricted free agent, Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller is generating a lot of interest as well, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.
The Bills swung a deal to acquire LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN.com's Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak . That clearly makes Spiller expendable. The Niners might be an attractive destination for Spiller, but the best place for him to go would be the Arizona Cardinals.
If there is a team in the NFL that is starving for an offensive playmaker like Spiller, it's the Cardinals. Spiller's game-breaking speed would offer a perfect balance to the aerial attack that features future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
The Cardinals would be my predicted landing spot for Spiller.
No comments:
Post a Comment