Ndamukong Suh to Miami

Detroit Lions fans are likely disappointed that Suh appears headed to the Dolphins, but they shouldn't be. Yes, Suh was amongst the best defensive tackles in the league, but that's just it. He's a defensive tackle. While there will be those that sing the praises of Suh over obscure stats, in reality his impact was minimal in any given game over an "average" replacement. People (including the media and TV announcers) will howl when a defensive tackle makes a good play, but most times nothing is said if the very same guy gets pancaked by an offensive lineman. It happens all the time.

Idle thought: Judge Judy is making $47 million a year while only working 52 days? Almost a million a pop? Wow. Tell ya what. You couldn't pay me a million bucks an episode to WATCH that shrewish wench, let alone a few hundred to trudge off to her courtroom and be humiliated on national TV. Who ARE these people?

Suh signing with the Dolphins makes sense, at least financially. Supposedly, he'll be getting around $114 million for six years, with about $50 million guaranteed. That averages out to roughly $19 million a year, if that can be considered sane, and opinions vary.

Thing is, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. So Suh stands to pocket $5-6 million over the duration of his contract that he would have had to pay to the state of Michigan had he remained with the Lions. The Lions had reportedly offered him around $17 million a year, but throw in the state taxes, and his take-home pay would have been less yet. Sure, the numbers are absurd, but that's what professional athlete salaries have come to these days. Do the math on some other recent obscene contracts. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer stands to make $10,000 for EVERY PITCH he throws. How utterly insane is that? And you wonder why you're paying 10 bucks for a nickel's worth of draft beer at a ballpark?

Granted, the Lions could have used the "franchise tag" on Suh. But that would have come with an even more preposterous $27 million price tag -- and only been good for one year. Twelve months from now, the Lions would have been right back in the same predicament regarding Suh. Did I mention he's only a defensive tackle and, as such, has no more team worth than an offensive guard? Both are equally necessary, but one gets attention and big bucks, while the other typically flies under the radar.

Besides, even going back to his college days Suh has always been somewhat of a loose cannon, both on and off the field. One never knows when it's going to go off again, and in which direction.

So Detroit fans can take solace that Suh is now Miami's problem, and it opens up major salary cap room to improve their team elsewhere. They have several needs to address. And c'mon, the Lions weren't going to win the Super Bowl any year soon with or without him. Neither will the Dolphins for that matter, but he came out several million bucks ahead and, after the hurricane season passes, the weather in Miami is a whole lot more comfortable during the latter part of an NFL season than in Detroit.

All in all, Suh going to the Dolphins made sense all-around. Last time yours truly went clubbing in South Florida a while back, they did some crazy dances that had crazy names, but I never did see or hear of one called "the stomp".

Perhaps Suh can enlighten them to a new rage.

Just a thought......