erald01

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^

This is good news, Sue is a good player but def not worth the franchise fee. With Lions having no money to spend due to the cap this was the right move, free up some money and use that towards getting two or three other players that your roster really needs. If he was JJWatt material then i would think twice about it.

Joined: 01/17/2013

MGoPoints: 3496

UMxWolverines

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:40 AM ^

Sigh...pro sports man. Most of em say that they want to win but when you're demanding ridiculous amounts of money that will hurt the rest of the team...that kinda kills that theory. "After you leave here you will never play for a team again. You'll play for a contract, you'll play for this, you'll play for that, everything except the team."

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65632

LSAClassOf2000

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^

The Lions have decided that as good as Ndamukong Suh is, he’s not good enough to be worth a $27 million salary this year.

From a financial standpoint for the Lions, this is likely the wiser move. I really like having a player like Suh on the team, but $27 million hamstrings a franchise that has very definite (and numerous) needs and could at least get serviceable players at a fraction of the price and cap hit. I can't see a scenario where you do this and then still hope to fill other needs. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130800

AnklePick

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^

I'm glad he won't be back. After what he pulled by stepping on Rodgers and jeopordizing the team's potential shot to move on in the playoffs, he made it quite apparent that he isnt a professional. He also made it quite obvious that he is more worried about his own personal agenda than the team's.

Dont let the door hit ya!

Joined: 12/02/2014

MGoPoints: -134

NCMtnBlue

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^

one of them was going to have to go one day.  Can only restructure the contracts so many times and in so many ways.  Hopefully, the Lions can get serviceable players at multiple positions on defense with the cap room left with Suh's departure.

Joined: 05/12/2011

MGoPoints: 10411

FauxMichBro

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^

good player, but no DT is worth this kind of money...they can still sign him, plus the draft is deep at DT.

Joined: 01/11/2015

MGoPoints: 3297

UofM626

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^

You tag him and let him find a deal and you don't match it! The. You get your 2 first round draft picks. Lions will always be Lions. Bad management. I don't care how nasty he is, dude made the lions matter on Defense

Joined: 01/02/2012

MGoPoints: 3443

bronxblue

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^

Makes sense.  He's a great tackle, but this team can't hamstring itself even more with another long-term contract like Suh.  It sucks, but it makes sense to find a fix in the draft.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 172085

julesh

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^

The Lions will let him test free agency. The Lions will meet any offer except the Raiders. They are going to offer ridiculous money. If Suh only cares about money and not about winning, he'll take the Raiders offer. Otherwise, he'll take the Lions matching offer from any other team.

Joined: 11/28/2011

MGoPoints: 21974

turtleboy

March 2nd, 2015 at 8:23 PM ^

I wonder about the Raiders. On the one hand they have the most money, but on the other hand their new-ish gm freed up that money cutting a bunch of bad contracts. I wonder if he'd sign Sun to a crazy contract or just a competitive one the lions can match.

Joined: 04/22/2011

MGoPoints: 35129

Champeen

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^

I don't get the 'no DT is worth that kind of money'.

Behind QB, DT is probably the most important position on a football team (arguable with LT/RT).  A top 2 DT is definitely worth the price of the #5 or 6 QB in the league.

Put it this way.  With Suh we are contenders with potential for a deep playoff run.  WIthout Suh, do we even make the playoffs?  I dont think so.

IF the Lions were adept enough that i felt confident they would use the money to fill multiple need positions with quality, including DT, then i would be indifferent about this.  However, they are not.  We KNOW what we have in Suh.  IMO, i would rather see them keep him and spend the cash on him.  Hes just that good at the #2 unit/position on the football field.

Joined: 04/07/2011

MGoPoints: 15059

Yostbound and Down

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^

Aside from QB where it obviously matters a ton more since they lead the offense, I don't think there's another position that is by definition the most important on the team. For ex: LT- when have the Patriots had a dominating, Jonathan Ogden-type LT? Never. Similarly when Revis was on the Jets a couple years ago he had an absolutely ridiculous profile; you could have argued he was the best defensive player in the league. JJ Watt is doing it from DE. Ray Lewis was the best defensive player in the league at MLB. My point is aside from QB you can't definitively say that another position is the most important. There are a couple that clearly aren't (FB, K, P jump to mind).

I do agree though that they should resign him, because unlike the deals they gave Stafford (and arguably Megatron) Suh has maximum durability and impact, and seems tougher to replace, at least than Calvin and possibly Stafford. Calvin is hurt too often and Stafford seems to have hit his ceiling.

Joined: 07/27/2011

MGoPoints: -86513

alum96

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:54 AM ^

This would have been easier to swallow if they had drafted Aaron Donald last year who already is an impact player as a rookie DT.  It sounds like revisionist history but I had Donald #1 for that slot and then I thought Shazier (in place of the 2nd round LB they took) were the top 2 choices for the first round.  I didnt think any CB last year was worth that high of a pick and I certainly was boggled by taking Ebron up there.  Even Lewan would have made more sense as you look to the future you coudl slide Reiff inside to guard for Sims in 2015 or 2016 and you'd have a hell of a young line in its prime.

I was looking ahead with Donald as a backup in year 1 and then take over for Fairley in year 2 as he lacks the motor in a Sean Rogers type of way -- plus injury prone.  Donald and Suh together would have been great.

But this shows me Suh never wanted to be here long term -  he played games all last year with the Lions by "not having an agent' and then letting this go til the last day.  I dont blame him trying to get the best deal but the Lions sound like they were willing to make him the highest paid D player or right there with JJ Watt.  So we'd at least have Donald and Mosley.  Just a bummer they went for Ebron.

But anyhow it is so Lions for its best player to get hurt (Sims), retire out of being sick of the team (Barry) or being "Hollywood" (Suh).   Now the icing on the cake will be to give CJ a 6 year extension next offseason when you dont give WRs in their early 30s more than 2-3 more years to be at the top of their game- it's a young man sport but to appease the fans they will give CJ a dumb contract.   Outside of QB you should not be giving any guy in their early 30s big money on a long term deal in the NFL based on probability.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82783

The Uke

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^

Many rumors that Suh wants more than just contract money. He may want the money and also the exposure from more commercials. The Jets and raiders have  cap space and also large advertising firms nearby

Joined: 02/06/2015

MGoPoints: 164

Perkis-Size Me

March 2nd, 2015 at 11:59 AM ^

Why they're letting him go is beyond me. That whole "no DT is worth that kind of money" is ludicrous to me. Ask Houston's management if they think JJ Watt is worth the money they paid him. I'm not sure the Lions are playoff contenders without Suh. But it's the Lions. They've been poorly run since the day they were created.

Hope the Bucs make a run at him. Allegedly they're going to pursue him heavily (but hey, who isn't going to?), and seeing both him and Gerald McCoy on the same D-Line would be tough for any team to go up against.



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Joined: 11/30/2011

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BeantownBlue

March 2nd, 2015 at 12:05 PM ^

Houston is the perfect example of why letting Suh go was the right move.  The Texans are 100% locked into having one incredible player on their team.  It doesn't matter that Watt is the best player in the league--they didn't make the playoffs.  Meanwhile, the Patriots let go a GREAT player (Logan Mankins) right before the season began and won the super bowl.  

Joined: 08/25/2008

MGoPoints: 1744

turtleboy

March 2nd, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

Exactly. Only one position is worth that kind of money, and it's not an interior lineman. Giving a guy like Manning that money? Worth it. Any other position on the field? Nope. It'll hurt the team locking all that money into one player. You could get slightly less production for a LOT less money from any number of players.

Joined: 04/22/2011

MGoPoints: 35129

mGrowOld

March 2nd, 2015 at 12:07 PM ^

Here in Cleveland we would welcome Suh with open arms and have the cap room to pay him what he's looking for.  He will make an instant impact and would transform the Browns day one into a force in the AFC North.

The only thing is he has to be willing to play QB.  

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 213938

gopoohgo

March 2nd, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^

Need to keep Fairley and draft a DT in the first two rounds...and sign a veteran like BJ Raji to a short term contract.

But at the same time, means that the Lions won't be in cap hell a la Dallas next year.

Will be interesting to see where Suh ends up...and if he does end up pushing someone over the top to the SB...

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 10660

CoachBP6

March 2nd, 2015 at 2:41 PM ^

Suh said he wants to play for Seattle to try and win a super bowl. Not many teams can afford him so who knows where he lands. The raiders, now with 70+ million dollars in cap space can make him the biggest offer of anyone, but they stand no chance. I think Suh will end up in Seattle, or another perennial playoff team.

Joined: 12/18/2013

MGoPoints: 7967

uminks

March 2nd, 2015 at 7:11 PM ^

He is going to play for a contender, not a pretender like the Lions. I could see him playing for one of the top 5 teams in the NFL teams next season, even turning down the top money contract with an awful team like the Raiders.  And there is no way he is  going to waste away his career signing with Detroit! Once he leaves Detroit, I'm sure the zebras and league will not pick on him as much.

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32186

Rodriguesqe

March 2nd, 2015 at 7:49 PM ^

The Lions served their purpose: provided watchable football for the single most uninteresting Michigan football season in memory. Even still, they had two huge games and blew both of them. Enter Harbaugh, goodbye Suh, hello watching only the thanks giving lions game.

Joined: 12/29/2013

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