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Ndamukong Suh

Sunday Roundup: Suh, Jets, Steve Smith

September 28th, 2014 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been fairly obvious for some time that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would be leaving Detroit at the end of the year, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirms that the Lions are preparing to move on without him. However, Schefter adds another wrinkle, writing that Suh would love to play in New York, either for the Jets or Giants.

However, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets have too much money tied up in their defensive line to be a serious suitor, and Mike Florio of Pro Football talk adds that there is no indication that the Giants would want Suh. Citing Schefter, Florio does add that the Bears and Cowboys will definitely be interested.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • In a full-length piece, Cimini writes that the Jets‘ most pressing contract concern might center around linebacker David Harris, the “glue” to head coach Rex Ryan‘s defensive unit. Although Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation has received more attention, Harris will be a free agent at year’s end, whereas Wilkerson will still be under club control.
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ worst-case scenario–that Geno Smith would continue to struggle with his turnover problem, triggering calls for Michael Vick to take over–has come true. Given that Ryan is coaching for his job, another poor showing from Smith this week could lead to Vick’s promotion. Like Serby, Cimini believes that Smith’s job could be on the line today.
  • Not only are the Jets inconsistent on the field, they are also facing internal struggles. In a separate piece, Schefter writes that some members of the Jets front office are disenchanted with the way GM John Idzik has built his roster. Not only do they believe Idzik was not aggressive enough in pursuing upgrades at cornerback, an issue that has received a lot of publicity, but they also feel that Idzik should have used his ample salary cap space to further address the wide receiver, pass rusher, and return specialist positions.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Ryan Tannehill/Joe Philbin dilemma is not the only player/coach rift on the Dolphins.
  • Rich Tandler of ESPNWashington.com says to look for the Redskins to promote safety Philip Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster–assuming they do not go outside the organization for help–and that one of the tight ends currently on the practice squad, Ted Bolser and Je’Ron Hamm, could also be on the way up, depending on the status of Jordan Reed and Niles Paul.
  • Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the Buccaneers have only two players remaining from their 2010 club: Gerald McCoy and Demar Dotson.
  • In a series of tweets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that the Panthers did not cut Steve Smith because they thought he could no longer perform at a high level. Instead, they worried that Smith would be “divisive” in the team’s young locker room. Smith refused to take a pay cut and ultimately asked for his release.

Ndamukong Suh Headed To Free Agency

September 21st, 2014 at 11:22am CST by Rory Parks

I wrote earlier today that the Buccaneers and Gerald McCoy were making progress towards an in-season extension, based on a report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. In that same piece, La Canfora writes that Ndamukong Suh, who was taken one pick above McCoy in the 2010 draft, appears headed to the open market.

This does not come as much of a surprise. A great deal of ink has been devoted to Suh’s contract situation this offseason, and our Luke Adams wrote back in July that the Lions were tabling extension talks until after the 2014 campaign. According to La Canfora, that plan has not changed, as there have been no talks since before training camp began, and Suh’s demands at that time were quite steep.

Suh has performed well during the first several weeks of the regular season, and the Lions continue to publicly express optimism that they will be able to retain their star defensive lineman. However, as La Canfora observes, “If Suh plays well and stays healthy his price only goes up. And with so few young, dominant players ever hitting the market before their second contracts, Suh’s agents would have a strong sense of his market by the NFL Scouting Combine in February.”

Furthermore, the Lions, unlike the Buccaneers, have several enormous contracts on the books (Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson) and have been right near the salary cap ceiling in recent seasons. Since the franchise tag for Suh in 2015 would cost Detroit a cap hit of about $27MM, there is no way the team will go that route.

So it looks as if Suh will be playing his last games for the Lions this season. He signed with CAA Sports in March, and, as La Canfora points out, “the last time CAA had a top pick play out his rookie contract — former first-overall Mario Williams — he ended up leaving the Texans for a record-setting deal in Buffalo. One would expect Suh to be able to do the same.”

Lions Notes: Suh, Leshoure, Lawson

August 8th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

Lions All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was identified by the league as one of 21 “at-risk” players who have “teetered on the boundaries of the league’s new way of doing on-field business,” reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer. As a result, NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent is seeking out the 21 players to address the issue directly. “There’s been pushback, and some anger,” says Breer, but in Suh’s case, Vincent was encouraged by their in-person sit-down.

“He was very receptive, he understood, he cared about the perception, his reputation, and I told him we’re not trying to take the edge he plays with away,” Vincent said. “I said, ‘We’ve seen you adjust, we’ve seen an adjustment in your play, let’s keep that going.’ … We met for hours, talking about the example he sets, the role model he’s become, and emphasizing his adjustment. What he did was set the bar with his approach, since he was first.” 

That news will probably be met with a collective eye roll from opposing players and fans who have grown tired of Suh’s lip service, but all eyes will be on him to see if he cleans up his act under a new coaching staff expected to incorporate more discipline than Jim Schwartz’s teams exhibited.

Here’s a few more Lions news and notes:

      • Running back Mikel Leshoure was a second-round pick in 2012, but he’s fourth on the Lions’ depth chart as the preseason kicks off, writes Mlive.com’s Kyle Meinke. However, people around the team seem to think that’s more a reflection of the team’s depth at the position rather than Leshoure underachieving. Even though new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi comes from New Orleans, where the Saints used a stable of capable runners, it’s difficult to envision the Lions carrying Leshoure as a projected inactive or severing ties, particularly if he has trade value, as Meinke’s Mlive colleague Justin Rogers suggests. “Mikel Leshoure still looks the part of a former second-round pick,” says Rogers. “The fourth-year running back has the size, speed and strength teams covet in the backfield, but it’s increasingly clear he’ll struggle to see the field in Detroit…Leshoure has looked good during the early stages of training camp and has been rewarded with plenty of reps with the first-team offense. But no matter how much work he gets and how well he practices, it’s difficult seeing a role for Leshoure without an injury to another player.”
      • “An area of concern for Detroit at this point might be Ezekiel Ansah,” says ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Ansah (shoulder) is still on the active physically unable to perform list, and while he’s been working on the side with trainers, Rothstein wonders how far behind he’s falling physically and/or mentally, especially with the team implementing a new scheme.
      • Fourth-rounder Nevin Lawson isn’t expected to have a major impact this season, but he’s in an enviable position to learn and grow, according to Fox Sports Detroit’s Dana Wakiji, who points out that the rookie stands to benefit from practice reps against Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate and tutelage from Rashean Mathis. With the Lions adding Drayton Florence to the mix, Lawson will likely begin the year fifth on the depth chart, as the team is willing to take a patient approach with his development.
      • It looks as if veteran Kevin Ogletree is establishing himself as the No. 3 receiver, says Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez in the Detroit Free Press.

Big Cats Notes: Newton, Suh, Dalton

August 3rd, 2014 at 8:45am CST by Rory Parks

As Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, “the seal was broken” on extensions for 2011 first-round draft picks–the inaugural group of first-rounders under the new CBA–when Patrick Peterson and Tyson Smith recently signed new long-term, big-money deals. Given the extensions for those high-profile franchise cornerstones, Person wonders when the Panthers will look to extend quarterback Cam Newton.

Of course, Carolina picked up Newton’s option for 2015 back in April, so they have time to get a deal done. The team might also be wise to wait and see how Newton’s surgically-repaired left ankle responds this year. However, if Newton enjoys the same type of success in 2014 that he did in 2013, he will really drive up his price tag, especially since Newton’s supporting cast appears weaker this season.

Former NFL agent Joel Corry does not believe the new deals for Smith and Peterson will “open the floodgates” for their fellow 2011 first-rounders, and he expects the Panthers and Newton to strike an agreement on an extension after the end of the 2014 campaign but before training camp opens in 2015. It remains to be seen what that extension will look like, but an average annual value of $20MM seems to be the new starting point for signal-callers of Newton’s caliber.

Now for some more links from the league’s Big Cat franchises:

  • Former agent Joel Corry believes that the Lions‘ decision to table contract talks with Ndamukong Suh indicates that Suh’s contract demands are “sky-high” and that he was probably asking to be the highest-paid defensive player in the league, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Corry believes that if Suh’s camp was not asking for that type of contract, the two sides probably would have struck a deal.
  • Jaguars‘ running back Toby Gerhart was held out of Saturday’s scrimmage, but Gerhart said he was merely experiencing leg tightness and the decision to not participate in the scrimmage was precautionary, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union.
  • In the same piece, O’Halloran provides a little more detail on the roster moves that the Jaguars made yesterday.
  • Coley Harvey of ESPN.com writes that Bengals‘ quarterback Andy Dalton, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, has been “sensational” in training camp thus far.

NFC Notes: Lee, McCoy, Suh, Tanner

July 29th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee is in the early stages of rehabilitation from a torn left ACL, but he’s already thinking about his future, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “I think I’ll come back completely healthy,” Lee said. “Now, the question is, can I stay out there? That’s something that obviously I’m hopeful for and I’m going to do everything I can do to do that and control everything I can. But at the end of the day, there’s situations that you might not be able to avoid. I’m not going to stress too much about that end. I’m just going to do what I can do.” More from the NFC:

  • Bad news for Seahawks tight end Anthony McCoy as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears from a source that he has torn his left Achilles. Last season, McCoy suffered a torn right Achilles and missed the entire season. In 2012, the 26-year-old’s last season on the field, he hauled in 18 receptions for 291 yards and three touchdowns while also spending time on special teams.
  • The Lions are postponing talks with Ndamukong Suh because they want him to be informed and sign a deal he’s happy with, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It was reported yesterday that Detroit will table talks with the star defensive tackle until after the season.
  • Running back Phillip Tanner visited with the 49ers yesterday before ultimately signing with the Colts, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. The 49ers have a new running back of their own in 27-year-old Alfonso Smith, who joined the club yesterday. San Francisco’s once-loaded RB stable is looking pretty banged up at the moment. backup Kendall Hunter tore his ACL, LaMichael James has a dislocated elbow, and Marcus Lattimore has multiple nagging injuries.
  • New Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is keeping the Big Blue’s defense on their toes in practice, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “Reps against the no-huddle does help going against the guys in Philly — their offense is very, very fast — and I think the Redskins, they do the same thing too,’’ cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “That’s only preparing us for the season.’’
  • Earlier tonight we recapped the Buccaneers‘ offseason.

Lions Notes: Fairley, Houston, Suh, Leshoure

July 29th, 2014 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The big news out of Detroit yesterday was the team’s decision to postpone extension negotiations with star defender Ndamukong Suh until after the 2014 season. Despite the added uncertainty at the defensive tackle position now that contract talks with Suh have been tabled, the Lions don’t regret their decision to decline Nick Fairley‘s option for 2015, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.

“Two totally different situations, two totally different players,” said general manager Martin Mayhew. “Neither one affects the other. They play the same position, that’s the only similarity between the two of them.”

Here’s more on the Lions:

  • Mayhew tells Birkett that the Lions are “shopping for everything,” and are always talking to people around the league about possible trades or ways to upgrade their roster. The GM specifically identified the secondary as “a place we need to look.”
  • As Birkett tweets, the Lions believe that Chris Houston, whom the team released earlier this offseason, is probably done, or at least won’t recapture his previous form, due to health issues. In the Free Press piece linked above, Mayhew acknowledges that the Lions could have approached the offseason differently if they’d known the extent of Houston’s health issues earlier.
  • Birkett and John Niyo of the Detroit News both recapped the Suh developments from yesterday, conveying the idea that the Lions remain optimistic about getting a deal done, despite not being able to guarantee that the standout defensive tackle won’t hit the open market in March.
  • Having slid down the team’s running back depth chart in recent years, Mikel Leshoure was asked on Monday if he’d prefer to move on if he isn’t getting regular touches for the Lions. “I feel like I’ll get a role somewhere,” LeShoure said, suggesting that could happen in Detroit or elsewhere. “So I’m going to think about that right now“(link via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com).

Monday Roundup: Gaffney, Suh, Bills

July 28th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some links from around the league to close out this Monday night:

  • The Panthers waived-injured sixth-round draft pick Tyler Gaffney on Sunday, hoping they could sneak him past waivers and put him on IR after he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Friday. However, the Patriots thwarted those hopes by claiming Gaffney earlier today. Of course, the Panthers could have kept Gaffney on the 90-man camp roster, but, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, Carolina GM Dave Gettleman noted that the team needed that roster spot for another running back (who turned out to be Fozzy Whittaker). In response to the Patriots’ acquiring Gaffney, a move that breaks one of the league’s many “unwritten rules,” Gettleman replied, “It’s business.”
  • During a brief, almost impromptu session with the media earlier today, Lions‘ defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh did not offer any real explanation as to why extension talks with the team have been tabled, nor did he say much about his long-term plans, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Suh merely reiterated yet again that he wants to remain a Lion. See Birkett’s article and our own Luke Adams’ post from earlier this afternoon for more details on the Suh dilemma.
  • Mike Sando of ESPN.com (subscription required) offers his thoughts as to how the Seahawks can keep their title window open once quarterback Russell Wilson inevitably gets a new deal that will pay him many times what he currently earns.
  • Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that the Saints are entering 2014 with tremendous confidence, despite their jettisoning of veteran stalwarts like Roman Harper and Will Smith and their increased reliance on their young talent on both sides of the football.
  • Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes that the bidding process to buy the Bills begins Tuesday.
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes that Donald Trump will bid on the Bills, but Trump says his chances of becoming the franchise’s next owner are “very, very unlikely.”
  • Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets that Raiders‘ receiver Rod Streater has been diagnosed with a concussion.
  • Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune gives the early edge in the Bears‘ backup quarterback battle to Jimmy Clausen. He also notes that defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and wideout Marquess Wilson have been impressive in camp thus far.
  • Liz Mullen of SportsBusinessJournal.com tweets that NFL agents Michael Perrett and Kevin McGuire have left SportsTrust Advisors to form their own firm.

Lions To Table Suh Talks Until Offseason

July 28th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have opted to table contract negotiations with Ndamukong Suh and his representatives until after the 2014 season, according to team president Tom Lewand (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Lewand remains optimistic that an agreement can be reached between the two sides in the offseason, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter), while GM Martin Mayhew says it was the team’s choice to put talks on the back burner (Twitter link).

Suh, 27, will earn a base salary of $12.55MM this season, but the prorated bonus money left on his contract increases his overall cap hit to about $22.41MM. Although an extension could’ve reduced that number a little, the Lions managed to make all their offseason moves without needing the added flexibility.

Postponing further extension discussions until after the season means Suh may have the opportunity to hit the open market, though the Lions will have a couple months between season’s end and March’s free agency date to work something out with the standout defensive tackle. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), Lewand didn’t rule out the possibility of the team using its franchise tag on Suh. However, that would be a pricey and impractical move — as Brian McIntyre tweets, Suh’s franchise salary would be $26.7MM. In any case, trading the star defender isn’t something the club is considering, according to Mayhew (Twitter link).

Entering his fifth NFL season, Suh has established himself as one of the league’s top defensive linemen, having earned three Pro Bowl berths and two First-Team All-Pro nods. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) have ranked the former second overall pick among the NFL’s top four defensive tackles in each of the last two seasons, primarily on the strength of his ability to rush the passer. By PFF’s count, Suh racked up 72 total quarterback pressures in 2013, well ahead of any other DT besides Gerald McCoy.

With an extension for Suh now on the docket for the offseason, the Lions will face decisions on both of their starting defensive tackles at that point. The team declined its fifth-year option on Nick Fairley for 2015, meaning he’ll also be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

North Notes: Rice, Pinkston, Suh, Steelers

July 28th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

In an unsurprising decision, Ravens running back Ray Rice has elected not to challenge his two-game suspension and fine, allowing the three-day window to pass without an appeal, as Jamison Hensley details at ESPN.com. Given the reaction to Rice’s two-game ban, which was widely considered a light penalty by Roger Goodell and the NFL, it makes sense that the Ravens and the running back would accept the punishment without a fight.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • The Browns issued a statement today along with the reps for Jason Pinkston announcing that the offensive lineman has not been medically cleared for football activities, which helps to explain why he has been absent from training camp thus far (link via Ohio.com).
  • Although contract extension talks for Ndamukong Suh have dragged on longer than expected, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell remains confident that the two sides will reach an agreement, according to Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said today that his club is open to the idea of extending its four starters whose contracts will expire after the 2014 season, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • The Steelers are only paying about $5.68MM this year to their top three cornerbacks, and the performances from those players could go a long way to determining what sort of season the team has, writes Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • With tight end guru Norv Turner now running the offense, the Vikings expect a big year for Kyle Rudolph, which is why the team decided to lock him up to a long-term extension now, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com explains.

NFC Links: Cowboys, 49ers, Suh, Cardinals, Redskins

July 27th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s see what’s happening around the NFC on this Sunday evening…

  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged that the team nearly selected Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, tweets NFL.com’s Dan Hellie. The owner added that he will rethink the decision “for the rest of (his) career.” Jones did clarify that he ultimately made the correct pick in offensive tackle Zack Martin (again via a tweet from Hellie).
  • 49ers running back LaMichael James dislocated his elbow in practice and will miss a month, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. With Kendall Hunter out for the season with a torn ACL, the team only has rookie Carlos Hyde and Jewel Hampton as backup options for Frank Gore.
  • With a depleted running back group, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson can envision the 49ers placing Hunter on the IR and adding a free agent running back (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets out a list of possibilities: Willis McGahee, Felix Jones, Michael Bush, Kahlil Bell, Bernard Scott, LaRod Stephens-Howling and (in a separate tweet) fullback Brian Leonard.
  • Count Lions head coach Jim Caldwell among those who believe a contract extension will get done between the team and Ndamukong Suh. “I’m always optimistic,” Caldwell said to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. “I think you know me by now, and I think without question they are working at it, and I think something will be done at the appropriate time.”
  • The Cardinals used Robert Hughes as a fullback during practice, and ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss says the player is a “strong possibility” to be the team’s fourth running back.
  • The Redskins’ release of linebacker Brandon Jenkins should allow some younger players to shine, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim. “We like the play of the guys behind him,” head coach Jay Gruden said. “We thought the earlier we make that move to give Brandon a chance to go somewhere else would be beneficial to him.”
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