Watch CBS News

Raiders, Jets, Colts Among Possible Landing Spots For Suh

By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak

CBS DETROIT - Saturday marks the beginning of open season in the hunt to sign perennial All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The Detroit Lions have tried - and presumably continue to try - to ink Suh to a long-term deal, but they only have exclusive negotiating rights for the remainder of the week.

Suh cannot sign with a team other than the Lions until March 10, but starting March 7 teams can contact Suh's agent Jimmy Sexton and begin negotiations.

The Lions desperately want to keep Suh, the cornerstone of the defense that carried the team to a record of 11-5 last season. According to overthecap.com, however, Detroit only has about $18 million in cap room. A number of teams have much more money available, including the Jacksonville Jaguars (about $68 million), the Oakland Raiders (about $55 million), the New York Jets ($51 million) and the Indianapolis Colts ($45 million).

While money is certainly one of the most important factors - if not the primary factor - for Suh, most believe he also wants to play somewhere he has a chance to win a Super Bowl. The likelihood of him enjoying multiple winning seasons with the Raiders (3-13 last season), the Jaguars (3-13) or the Jets (4-12) seems slim. However, the media markets in California and New York would certainly give Suh more exposure, helping him expand his brand, which is reportedly a goal for the business-minded player.

The Colts finished the 2014 season with a record of 11-5, and Indianapolis has a tradition of contending every year. Only twice since 1999 have the Colts won fewer than 10 games in a season. With star quarterback Andrew Luck in the fold, Indianapolis could continue its winning ways for years to come.

Another option for Suh - a nightmare scenario for Lions fans - would be signing with Detroit's already formidable NFC North rival Green Bay. The Packers have about $33 million in cap room. A team that consistently contends, Green Bay enjoys an offense led by Aaron Rodgers, who along with Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

LaVar Arrington of NFL Network suggested such a scenario for Suh last month.

"A lot of times, players that leave their team feel disrespected ... and they stay in the division," Arrington said at the time. "[Green Bay is] going to get B.J. Raji back, so now you're looking at B.J. Raji and Ndamukong Suh, and then you got those guys on the outside ... Julius Peppers [and] Clay Matthews ...

"You shore up the center of the defensive front," Arrington added, "and that might have been one of the pieces that they were truly missing on that team this past season."

Whichever team signs Suh will pay a hefty price. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt became the league's most highly paid defensive player in September when he received a record-setting deal of $100 million with $51.8 million guaranteed, and Suh reportedly wants to surpass that mark.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.