Somewhat like the player himself, the whole scenario of Suh's impending free agency has become one big fustercluck.
The front office of his current team, the Detroit Lions, continues to be optimistic they can resign him. Talks are progressing and things are close, they say. But are they really? Consider the Lions' options.
They could slap Suh with the "franchise tag", but it would come at a cost of almost $27 million bucks, and only be good for one year. After that, he would be a free agent again and the whole mess would start over. Granted, the Lions franchise has well earned their reputation as being more Keystone Koppish than Mensa worthy over the decades, but this would be utter insanity.
Or they could try to sign Suh to a long-term contract, but the brute has already made noises about wanting over $25 million a year. Either way, it would put the Lions in a salary cap bind. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are already in the long-term $20 million plus range, and there's that little matter of filling out the rest of the 53 man roster with enough talent to make them competitive. With the NFL's 2015 cap projected to be around $140M, tieing up almost half that in three players means the other 50 and their agents have to compete for what's left over. And it's not like the Lions don't have serious needs at various positions -- at least if they want to be in the conversation for a Super Bowl any year soon.
Best choice for the Lions? Let Suh walk. That frees up a boatload of money to address needs elsewhere. And let's get real. Most everyone would agree, including the players, the NFL is very much a business and hard decisions that effect the "bottom line" have to be made. So what would a prudent businessperson do with a commodity whose liabilities, both present and potential, outweigh its assets? One way or the other, they'd get rid of it.
Also the fact remains that albeit a very good one, Suh is a defensive tackle. His job is to clog up the middle of the line on running plays and put pressure on the opposing QB if he sits in the pocket too long on passing plays. On average, Suh will make 4-5 tackles per game, and he got 8 sacks last year -- one every other game. So plug your "run-of-the-mill" defensive tackle in his place (who would happily play his butt off for a fraction of the same salary), and just how much of a difference does Suh make anyway? Maybe one or two plays a game? This makes him worth more money than the starting quarterback? Something is horribly wrong with this picture.
However, looking at it from Suh's point of view, his alleged desire to go to Seattle makes sense. After all, the Seahawks were Super Bowl champions just last year, and came within a whisker of repeating. Plus, Suh is from the great northwest. Portland, but being in Seattle would get him a whole lot closer to his former 'hood than where he currently plays in Detroit. Too boot, the oddsmakers in Vegas have made the Seahawks the early favorite to win the Super Bowl again next year, while the Lions will be lucky to win their own division, let alone sniff the Lombardi trophy any year soon. And, given a choice, if you're a big-time pro athlete -- or an average citizen for that matter -- all things being the same otherwise, where would you rather live? Seattle or Detroit? Is it even a close call?
But that's where the boy named Suh might run into problems. The Seahawks already have a fearsome defensive line. They don't need him, and they surely don't need the whopper salary cap hit that would come with the package. Though still relatively young, like most other teams, the Seahawks have their own problems trying to retain or acquire enough good players with the very same salary cap limitations.
Granted, head coach Pete Carroll has been known to play fast and loose with the rules on occasion during his career (see the debacle he left USC shackled with before heading north for "greener" pastures), but he's also become known for thinking "outside the box" while in Seattle. The infamous bone-headed play call that decided the recent Super Bowl aside, PC (appropriate initials given Microsoft's corporate presence in the area) can come up with some off-the-wall strategies occasionally, and a lot of times they work.
But why would even a guy like Carroll want to take on a loose cannon waiting to happen like Suh? Especially given the huge dent in the cap it would entail?
Seattle has adapted and become used to a lot of things. The above-mentioned Microsoft, Starbucks, and surely a lot of rain. Perhaps they've even gotten over losing their NBA team to Oklahoma City a while back.
But yours truly has his doubts whether they would welcome a stomper into their midst -- especially when they don't need him in the first place.
So assuming things don't work out in Detroit or Seattle, what could become of Suh? Hmmm.
Though late long-time owner Ralph Wilson is likely spinning in his grave at such a move, the Buffalo Bills recently hired Rex Ryan as their next head coach. As coaches go, cannons don't get any looser than Ryans. Rex and Ndummy would be a good fit. No, neither would win anything there either, but the highlight reels on Sunday nights might get a whole lot more entertaining. It's a start.
Besides, it's Buffalo. Suh has buffaloed the fans, front office, and media in Detroit for years. As did Ryan while with the Jets. Better yet, the good folks in Buffalo have become used to major snow (jobs). If they could survive 8 feet of the white stuff in two days a while back, a couple more clowns associated with their football team isn't likely to faze them much.
In lieu of $25 million a year, maybe the Bills could cut a major corner on the cap by offering Suh part ownership of Niagara Falls -- in deferred payments of course. A hundred feet here and a hundred feet there, and next thing ya know Ndummy would be a regular honeymoon water baron.
On that note, yours truly would gladly foot the bill for the barrel if Suh opts to make a big splash by finally going whole hog off the deep end. One way or the other, I suspect it's only a matter of time anyway.
Just a thought.....
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