Official: Lions don't tag Suh.

[RobBase]

Rob, I'm not attempting to go all "Richard Cranium" on you, but didn't you mention Schwartz as a possible replacement for Austin if he left for a HC job. Schwartz used his system, meaning Suh, and in your above post you're pretty much stating Schwartz didn't use Suh properly. Gunther, IMO, did what Schwartz "told him to do" as far as system, scheme, implementation (players also).

Wasn't serious. Obviously that would never happen.

Hope we can all stay friends now that the Lions suck again.

 

[TwoCents22]

Actually just seen a report that the 2 sides are a lot closer to a long term deal than most think. So that probably means its about 20% chance.

 

[RobBase]

Actually just seen a report that the 2 sides are a lot closer to a long term deal than most think. So that probably means its about 20% chance.

Link?

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

from 2cents post.... Then maybe that's 1 of the reasons as to why the tag didn't come into play. They're closer to signing him than many think.

 

[gandydancer]

Go head Micro. Sell me on how Mayhew and co. return to the playoffs next year. Please cite specific reasons and use history to support your claims.

This regime took 5 years to even find a DC capable of using Suh, but you think this same regime can replace the impact he made.

Let me guess, they'll sign Revis, Hardy and Ngata?

I won't say a guy like Knighton is a Suh. He has shown he is hard to block man up. He is a run stuffer. Not sure what him and say Hardy would cost? Those two would be huge additions and yes, I feel the defense can still be top ten. Which may be all is needed if Lombardi's system is more effective in second year.

Suh was not the only reason that defense was top ranked against the rush. Many teams ran oppo of Suh and many contributed in sur tackling. IMO the pass rush will suffer the most.

To just say 5-11 and back to the bottom is over reacting at this point. Need to see what FA and the draft bring in.

 

[TwoCents22]

Just a tweet. Honestly, don't know who this guy is.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

I won't say a guy like Knighton is a Suh. He has shown he is hard to block man up. He is a run stuffer. Not sure what him and say Hardy would cost? Those two would be huge additions and yes, I feel the defense can still be top ten. Which may be all is needed if Lombardi's system is more effective in second year.

Suh was not the only reason that defense was top ranked against the rush. Many teams ran oppo of Suh and many contributed in sur tackling. IMO the pass rush will suffer the most.

To just say 5-11 and back to the bottom is over reacting at this point. Need to see what FA and the draft bring in.

THIS

 

[RobBase]

Not this. Watch the video again. I don't know what the hell you guys see that I don't. Levy? Warford? Ansah? Fairley? Quinn? Good players but they just all got worse without Suh on the team.

 

[gandydancer]

And yet this regime was "very, very confident" a deal would get done.

Mind blowing that these guys STILL have fans. Mesmerized by Bubbles no doubt.

I like bubble makers. Can't wait to make bubbles with my grand daughter.

 

[RobBase]

Have fun this off season fellas.

 

[gandydancer]

Not this. Watch the video again. I don't know what the hell you guys see that I don't. Levy? Warford? Ansah? Fairley? Quinn? Good players but they just all got worse without Suh on the team.

As a Lions fan there is huge amounts of blind faith yearly. Austin took kids that were sub par with Suh the year before and had a top five defense all season. That is not all Suh or it would have made a difference with Schwartz.

I will have blind faith in Austin not Mayhew that he puts new players in position to succeed yet again.

 

[RobBase]

No, Gunther was a terrible DC. The wide 9 did nothing to help Suh. Those coaches never once figured out how to stop that inside chip run the Niners made famous. They didn't know how to use Fairley either.

Austin is legit, but he's had Ngata and Suh anchoring his defenses. Where they gonna find one of those?

 

[Naughtymax]

Sanity prevails. I love the guy, but not at any price. Management is totally incompetent for letting it get to this point, but at least they're not going to lose their minds and pay anyone not named Joe Montana $27MM for a season of play.

I think this really was a foregone conclusion 2 years ago. You'd have to be crazy to blow your cap up on any one player. He still might sign, but I doubt it or he'd already be in a long-term deal.

Just hope we don't go crazy in free agency and overpay.

 

[RobBase]

I really don't think anyone worth a damn will want to play here now. Why would they? Calvin is past his prime, there are no stars on the defense, and our QB is who he is. This is Detroit after all. The Reggie Bush types are the best we can expect.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Rob, what did you do with the other Rob from a couple weeks ago ?

It's too early for any predictions "ON ANY 1 DAMN THING" AT THIS JUNCTURE.

 

[broncosmitty]

I really don't think anyone worth a damn will want to play here now. Why would they? Calvin is past his prime, there are no stars on the defense, and our QB is who he is. This is Detroit after all. The Reggie Bush types are the best we can expect.

On the brightside, Staff n Calvin can get back to putting up ridiculous amounts of meaningless yards in games they never lead in during the second half. And that's always fun.

Ebron might even get in on the action. And Funchess, after Mayhew drafts him to be the slowest lousy handed receiver in NFL history. Or as a replacement for Joey Fauria, since he can't block either.

 

[gandydancer]

Micheal Rothstein a ESPN Lions reporter is the who said a 50/50 chance at a long term deal. Never heard of that guy 22 posted. Might just be relaying same message???

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Here's the ESPN insider from Rothstein earlier

With tag gone, Lions now under pressure to get Ndamukong Suh deal done
March, 2, 2015
Mar 2
11:45
AM ET
By Michael Rothstein | ESPN.com

The decision was difficult, mostly because Ndamukong Suh was the player the Detroit Lions had built so much of their defense around for the past five seasons and into the foreseeable future.

To put a franchise tag on Suh -- a decision the Lions passed on Monday morning -- would have meant potentially tying up an obscene amount of money in the defensive tackle if a long-term deal couldn't be reached for slightly less cash. It would have meant leaving little wiggle room to improve the roster through free agency, and perhaps more cap cuts for players deemed valuable to the franchise.

And it would have come with zero guarantee the Lions would have signed him to a long-term deal anyway. So it was smart of the Lions to pass on franchising Suh, although now it puts a lot more pressure on the team's front office to get a deal done before he hits the open market as one of the most coveted free agents since the inception of free agency in the NFL.

The Lions mismanaged themselves into this position. They restructured Suh's contract enough during the first four years of his deal that it left the franchise with a $22.4 million cap charge for his final season. So they had to understand if the franchise tag became something they would have to consider using, the cost would be the astronomical number it is (almost $26.9 million) instead of a much more reasonable number.

The restructures, along with long-term deals for quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson, left the Lions with the potential for three massive contracts on the books while each player was entering or just leaving their primes. It is a financial quandary that would be difficult for any franchise to deal with.

The Lions shortened the window to get something done when they shut down negotiations with Suh prior to the season. This let J.J. Watt and Gerald McCoy essentially set the market price for Suh when he tries to become the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, something likely to happen by the end of March, with either the Lions or another franchise. If Suh and the Lions had worked out a deal before the season, they could have set the high-end number and not had to worry about whether Suh would be around for the prime of his career.

An earlier contract could have also given more time to rework some other deals to find more room and a way to fit Suh, Johnson and Stafford under the cap and still have some money to improve the roster on the defensive line, offensive line, cornerback, running back and wide receiver. These are all areas where the Lions need to find players through the draft or free agency -- and the reason why they couldn't use the tag with the $26.9 million price tag.

It also would have made the decision to pass on emerging star defensive tackle Aaron Donald during the draft and declining Nick Fairley's fifth-year option in free agency easier to understand.

Yet the Lions did none of those things -- and continued to speak confidently about signing Suh to a long-term deal. Team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew have been saying this for over a year now, continually offering the same message: a deal, they believed, would get done.

Now, with the tag no longer an option, the Lions have a real deadline to reach a deal. And we'll see whether Lewand and Mayhew's confidence was justified, or a misjudgment of the entire Suh process if he walks to another team willing to pay.


The restructures took what would have likely been a reasonable franchise tag for a player such as Suh -- somewhere between $10 million and $12 million -- and made the number almost impossible to deal with.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Possible suitors for Ndamukong Suh
Mar 2
11:05
AM ET
By Tom Carpenter | ESPN Insider

The Detroit Lions have decided against using the franchise tag on unrestricted free agent Ndamukong Suh. Although there was some buzz that they may go ahead and use the tag, the hefty price of nearly $27 million that would have counted against their salary cap made it a highly unlikely move.

The team still can re-sign him, but he is free to hit the open market on March 10. Which teams may come calling?

"The Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are among the teams that could try to lure Suh from Detroit," wrote Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

"All have more than $30 million in 2015 salary cap room, or almost double what the Lions have in available space (less than $18 million)."

So long as a team has the requisite money to lure Suh, he figures to fit into any defensive scheme due to his versatility and the incredible impact he has on those around him:

Matt Williamson
Sizing up the top free agents for 2015"He's one of the few defensive players that make everyone around him better. He demands attention. He can fit any scheme. You can use him like J.J. Watt as a 3-4 attacking defensive end or certainly as a tackle in the 4-3. He's the type of player that anyone who runs any scheme would want."

 

[Old Lion]

Boo frieken Hoo. Please go be a fan of whatever team Suh ends up on. I really really hope it is TB or Oakland. 2 teams that could bring in 10 all pros and still suck.

Cant wait to say I told you so.