Ndamukong Suh: Lions DT will hit open free agency

By Evan Massey | Mar 2, 2015

Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) prior to facing the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

The Detroit Lions have decided not to place the franchise tag on star defensive tackleNdamukongSuh, and will instead allow him to hit the open free agency market.

There has been quite a bit of speculation about where star Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will end up this offseason, but it is official that he will hit the open free agency market. Detroit has decided not to place the franchise tag on Suh, and they will now have to fight with other teams to bring back their defensive leader.

The #Lions will not place the franchise tag on Ndamukong Suh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2015

Detroit is still going to do everything in their power to bring Suh back, but they may not be willing to put up the type of deal that he will be looking for. He will be getting a major payday, and there are plenty of places that Suh would rather play than in Detroit.

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It will be very intriguing to see which teams end up throwing an offer at Suh. Obviously teams like the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts have major needs at Suh’s position, but they might not be willing to pay the type of contract that it will take to lock him up. Suh has also been very vocal about wanting to play with the Seattle Seahawks.

During the 2014 season, Suh ended up totaling 53 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and three passes batted down. He is a dominant defensive tackle that has the speed and athleticism to get to the quarterback. Suh was a key part in helping the Lions rank as the best rush defense in the league last season.

At 28 years old, Suh has quite a few years of good football left in him. This will likely be the last massive contract that he signs, which will probably mean that he is searching for the highest offer that he can get. If a team really wants to steal him away from the Lions, they will need to put an offer on the table that has too much guaranteed money for Suh to turn down.

Needless to say, this is going to be a very intriguing situation to keep an eye on throughout the course of the offseason. Free agency is going to be a very busy period this year, and there are quite a few big names outside of Suh that are testing the market. Detroit desperately wants to keep Suh on the roster, but they are going to have quite a bit of competition.

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