Fansided

Report: Suh to sign with Buccaneers

By Jason Cole

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Ndamukong Suh #93 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on prior to kickoff at Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Ndamukong Suh #93 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on prior to kickoff at Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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DT Ndamukong Suh, who was once drafted one spot ahead of Gerald McCoy, will now replace McCoy in Tampa Bay lineup.

One day after releasing nine-year veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers replaced McCoy in the lineup with a player he has long been linked to: Ndamukong Suh. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted the team and Suh were close to a contract.

Suh and McCoy were the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively, in the 2010 NFL draft. They were taken after quarterback Sam Bradford was taken No. 1 overall by the St. Louis Rams. At the time, there was significant debate around the NFL about which player would have a better career.

Suh has become a journeyman the past three years. He signed a record-breaking contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2015. Suh received a six-year, $114 million deal, including $60 million guaranteed from the Dolphins. However, by 2016, first-year Dolphins head coach Adam Gase was grousing about the contract for Suh and he was let go after the 2017 season.

Suh played last season with the Los Angeles Rams, helping them reach the Super Bowl. The Rams had hoped to re-sign him, but Suh’s asking price was considered too high for them, according to a Rams source. Suh signed a one-year deal and will now play for his third team in three seasons, which is quite a change for a player who appeared on his way to a Hall of Fame career early on.

As for McCoy, he was released Monday as the team cleared $9 million off the salary cap to help sign other players. McCoy and the team had been at odds over him restructuring his contract. The team had tried to trade McCoy earlier in the offseason but found no takers.