Detroit Lions NFL Free Agency 2015 News, Rumors: Lions Lose Ndamukong Suh, What Will Team Do in Free Agency?
Star Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh will sign a $114 million deal on Tuesday with the Miami Dolphins, according to the latest reports. $60 million of that money will be guaranteed.
Suh's agent has been negotiating the parameters on the six-year deal since the 72-hour negotiating period for free agents began Saturday, NFL sources told ESPN. The Detroit Lions were in the mix, but have likely been outspent by a team with more cap room and will now have around $17 million in cap space to replace their best defensive player and get their roster in shape to contend for a NFC North title.
The Lions were dealt a pretty bad hand here, but through their own mismanagement got themselves into a position where Suh simply wasn't affordable under the NFL salary cap. Suh was drafted in the last year of the old collective bargaining agreement before there were rookie wage caps. Twice since then the Lions have restructured his deal that pushed salary cap hits to future years. Since using the franchise tag forces a team to pay a player 120 percent of his cap hit from the year before the Lions priced themselves out of a position to be able to afford a substantial cap hit.
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Now the focus for the team has to be rebuilding their defensive line, a move hampered by the decision last season to not pick up the option on Nick Fairley's rookie deal and the decision to draft tight end Eric Ebron in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. That gives Fairley a lot of leverage in negotiations with them and points to the Lions using a top draft pick to try and find a replacement for Suh.
The Lions are also in need of some help along the offensive line and at the running back position. They are reportedly interested in RB CJ Spiller displaced in Buffalo after they traded for LeSean McCoy.
