When one takes an objective view at Suh's possible future employment with the Lions, it's really a bad fit, both for the team and Suh himself.
First, the Lions. They wisely decided not to slap Suh with the "franchise tag". Not that the Lions haven't made their fair share of boneheaded decisions in the past, but this would have been utter lunacy.
Though some players have resented being "tagged", they really shouldn't. After all, it guarantees they will be paid amongst the top 5 at their position in the entire league, or the gross national product of Canada -- whichever is greater. Close enough. Let's just say it's a whole lot of money.
In Suh's case, this would have amounted to somewhere around $27 million for the 2015-16 season. For the Lions' fans that are clamoring to keep Suh, they might want to ask themselves if they think Suh is worth far more than QB Matthew Stafford (around $17M).
For that matter, is he worth more than the entire offensive line? Sure, the big guys up front in the trenches seldom receive any glory, but shouln't an offensive guard be worth every bit as much as a defensive tackle? After all, one is trying to get to the passer and the other is trying to protect him. One tries to open up holes for the running game and the other tries to close them. Yes, a good pass rush and stuffing an opponent's running game are crucial for any defense. On the other hand, if a team has a porous O-line, they won't be able to run OR pass, and the QB might not stay healthy for very long. So why has one always been deemed to be so much more "valuable" than the other? Both are equally necessary for any team to succeed. Are we to believe Suh is worth more than the entire unit on the other side of the ball? Really?
At that, even if the Lions had tagged Suh for ridiculous bucks, putting themselves in a salary cap bind eleswhere to boot, it only would have been good for one season. Next year they would have faced the same problem. This would have made absolutely no sense for the Lions front office to do. Whether or not the Lions will still be able to re-sign Suh as a "free agent" remains to be seen, but he'll likely command at least $20M per season through his agent. Is he worth it? Opinions vary.
But if Suh and his new mouthpiece have a lick of sense -- no given -- they'll look around at what the market has to offer. This raises an interesting point when it comes to the big bucks world. The Lions aren't the best fit for them either. Far from it.
Therefore, consider Suh's point of view. He grew up in Oregon and went to college at Nebraska. He really has no roots/ties to Detroit other than having been drafted by and played on their football team for a few years as a professional. Though the Lions made the playoffs last year as a wild card team, and were quickly eliminated, that's a far cry from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Though anything can happen, few would think the Lions capable of playing in February for the Vince Lombardi trophy any year soon.
So put yourself in Suh's shoes. If a championship seems unlikely in Detroit, why not go elsewhere?
And here's the really big cha-ching reason he should.....
What do the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Bucs, Jacksonville Jags, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans have in common?
If you answered they all play in warmer climates than the Lions, you would be correct, but also missing a bigger point.
These teams are all located in Florida and Texas and neither has a state income tax. When a player like Suh is going to be in the uber-rich world of finance no matter where he lands -- wouldn't it make more sense for him to go to a state that's not going to zap him for taxes? Depending on how his contract is structured, Suh could likely save/pocket upwards of $5 million in state taxes that he would have to pay if he remained in Michigan playing for the Lions.
And last time I looked, $5 million could pay a lot of fines with a bunch left over, if Suh decides to go rogue again on the field here and there.
But ya know what? Yours truly has a sneaking suspicion that somehow the Lions and Suh will come to an agreement on a long term contract.
It really wouldn't make sense for either on several fronts, but that's just sort of the way both have always rolled.
Perhaps they deserve each other.......
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