Ndamukong Suh - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Roundup: Suh, Cowboys, Bears, Eagles

May 18th, 2014 at 10:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite the fact that he will be attending organized team activities this week, Ndamukong Suh continues to be the subject of trade rumors. According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, teams are still contacting the Lions to inquire about Suh, despite Detroit claiming that no teams have shown interest (Twitter links). A trade of the All-Pro defensive tackle would yield almost $3MM in cap space for the Lions, but Suh’s 2014 $12.55MM base salary would probably prove too costly for any team looking to acquire him. In order for a trade to take place, it would probably take a willingness from Suh to restructure his deal, along with a first- or second-round pick heading to Detroit.

More news from the NFC:

The Cowboys have a fondness for Boise State players, so it was logical that the team surrendered its second- and third-round picks to move up and select BSU linebacker Demarcus Lawrence, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. “We like Boise guys,” said Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. “We always take a hard look at where the player has played, what kind of program [it is] and what that program is all about. They do a great job up there. It’s a very competitive program. The players that come out of there compete; they play hard. We’ve got two of them,” he said, referencing Orlando Scandrick and Tyrone Crawford.
Jason Witten was pleased with the Cowboys draft, as he believes the selection of guard Zack Martin shows Dallas wants to improve to the running game, according to Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think it says a lot about where our football team’s headed,” said Witten. “It was huge for us, because for a long time, we didn’t have that solidified. I think it speaks volumes for where we’re at and where we’re trying to go.”
Despite the presence of veteran corners Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, Bears first-rounder Kyle Fuller is expected to contribute in 2014, specifically because of the spread offense. “Typically, at least half of the snaps that you’ll play in the season will be with five defensive backs in the game,” said defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. “And sometimes you’ll go into game weeks or games and almost every snap will be in sub personnel…A third corner is like a starter. A third corner plays as much if not more than your third linebacker in a 4-3″ (per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times).
Eagles second-rounder Jordan Matthews is expected to replace Jason Avant in the slot, and fellow rookie receiver Josh Huff isn’t thought of as a field-stretcher, but that hasn’t stopped the DeSean Jackson comparions, writes Martin Frank of USA Today.
49ers coach John Harbaugh is known as a quarterback guru, and after San Francisco added Josh Johnson to compete for the third QB role, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ran through the extensive list of signal-callers that Harbaugh and company have brought in over the past three seasons.

NFC North Rumors: Bradford, Suh, Packers

May 5th, 2014 at 2:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings and Rams may have discussed a Sam Bradford trade, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports told CBS Sports Radio 920 (per TurfShowTimes.com).

“There are people in the league who believe there have been discussions with the Vikings. Rams people have denied any conversations whatsoever. The bottom line is if they don’t take a quarterback, they’re not trading Sam Bradford. There’s so much uncertainty in this draft that it’d be difficult to put the horse before the cart…all these things are tied together….The Rams are going to talk to a lot of teams between now and whenever their first pick is…[and] continue to gauge the market.”

Such a trade would presumably allow the Rams, who have been linked to Johnny Manziel, to consider selecting a quarterback with either the second or 13th pick (or the eighth pick if the Vikings send a first-rounder for Bradford, which is unlikely).

Continuing with more news from the NFC North:

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew says the team is not aiming to trade Ndamukong Suh, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).
Mayhew said one interested team did call in January to inquire on Suh, but the Lions declined the offer, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman also tweets Mayhew’s more colorful description of the discussion: “(They) offered me a box of old tube socks and I said no thank you.”
Speaking of the Lions’ defensive line, Birkett analyzes the team’s needs at the position, noting that Detroit could add another pass rusher.
The Packers will add a rookie quarterback to the mix behind Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Scott Tolzien, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Green Bay could look to either the late rounds of the draft or to rookie free agency to add a young signal-caller.
The Packers, at pick No. 21, might need to be wary of the Chiefs, at pick No. 23, attempting to jump ahead of them, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Both teams employ similar “best player available strategies,” and Chiefs general manager John Dorsey used to work in Green Bay.
In his latest Q&A, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reasons it would take a third-round pick for the Bears to swap first-round positions with the Titans, moving ahead of the Giants in order to draft Aaron Donald.

Mailbags & More: Cowboys, Lions, Rams, Jets

May 4th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some mailbags and related links to kick off this Sunday morning:

The Cowboys will have some contractual decisions to make regarding a few of their top offensive weapons, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer in his latest mailbag. Although they have picked up the fifth-year option on Tyron Smith, thereby locking him up through 2015, they still would like to get a long-term deal done. Extension talks could take place this summer.
As for Dez Bryant, who is entering the final year of his contract, the Cowboys want him to stay and Bryant does not want to leave, so Archer predicts that something will get done. However, he does think that a lot of the money in any potential deal will be in the base salaries, which would give Dallas some protection. And although DeMarco Murray has been terrific, the market for running backs has stagnated and the Cowboys would be wise to approach him with a modest deal now to see if he would bite.
Finally, Archer believes that if the Cowboys are unable to land Zack Martin or another top tackle in the draft, they will try to extend Doug Free. If they do manage to snag a highly-rated tackle, they will be willing to set Free free.
ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein investigates the possibilities of the Lions‘ trading back from their No. 10 overall pick and the possibility of an Ndamukong Suh trade.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is going all out in his pre-draft coverage of the Lions this week, taking a look at Detroit’s options at defensive back, the most likely candidates for the team’s first round pick, and he puts up another mock draft.
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News makes a case for the Lions to draft Zack Martin with their first-round choice.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com had a two-hour chat with fans on Friday regarding the most important draft-related topics facing the Rams.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be an intriguing fit for the Rams.
Seth Walder of the New York Daily News looks at three players the Jets could target in the first-round: Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, and Darqueze Dennard.
Kimberly A. Smith of Newsday examines the importance of this draft for Jets GM John Idzik, who has 12 picks to work with and a healthy salary cap situation.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at Rex Ryan’s influence in the Jets‘ draft room, the possibility they may trade up in the draft, and several other draft-related issues.

Sunday Morning Notes: Ravens, Suh, Visits

April 27th, 2014 at 9:24am CST by Rory Parks

Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore wonders if the Ravens should be wary of Alabama defensive players in the draft, including top prospects like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and C.J. Mosley. Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome is an Alabama alumnus and has close ties with the school, ties that may have contributed to the Ravens’ selections of players like Jarret Johnson, Terrence Cody, and Courtney Upshaw.

Although Johnson was a standout performer in Baltimore, Cody has largely been a disappointment, and after a promising rookie season, Upshaw fell off in 2013. That’s not to mention, of course, non-Raven Alabama products like Kareem Jackson and Mark Barron who have failed to live up to expectations. As ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. observed, Alabama defenders play in an elite system with top-flight coaching and consequently “come into the league thinking they pretty much are as coached as they can be and basically they’ve hit the ceiling.”

Will the trend of Crimson Tide defensive standouts who fizzle in the NFL deter Newsome from drafting players like Clinton-Dix and Mosley if he feels they represent the best fit for his club? Given Newsome’s skill and reputation, probably not. But it is another storyline to consider as the first round of the draft unfolds in a couple of weeks.

Now for some more early morning notes:

Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin has been generating a lot of buzz in recent weeks, and we recently heard that Martin is expected to be off the board within the first 17 picks. Now, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah tweets that he would not be surprised if Martin went in the top 10, with Buffalo (No. 9 overall) being a potential landing spot.
As our own Luke Adams wrote several days ago, although the Lions might be willing to trade Ndamukong Suh, any such deal would be riddled with obstacles. As such, Suh seems likely to stay put in Detroit for at least 2014, but if he were to be traded, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk names the Jaguars and Raiders as the likeliest candidates.
Although the Falcons have shown a great deal of interest in Jadeveon Clowney and visited with the top prospect last week, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes that interest is a “smokescreen” to drive up the price for teams like Detroit that might want to move up in the draft. Ledbetter writes that Atlanta has too many holes to mortgage the future to move up for Clowney as they did for Julio Jones several years ago.
Stanford DE Ben Gardner visited with the 49ers and Raiders this weekend, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The Bengals worked out Tusculum QB Bo Cordell, who also threw for the Eagles, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

North Notes: Suh, Lions, Browns, Bengals

April 25th, 2014 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been talk that the Lions are shopping Ndamukong Suh, but Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes that Detroit is really just doing its due diligence. “What the Lions are doing is standard operating procedure,” one team executive said. “Just in case they don’t think they can sign him, they’re preparing for worst case. It’s smart.” Team officials that have spoken with the Lions believe that the two sides will work out an arrangement and the defensive tackle will stay in Detroit. Meanwhile, as you might expect, clubs from around the NFL love Suh’s talent but are very concerned about his behavior. More out of the NFC and AFC North…

The Lions should hang on to Suh if they want to win now, opines Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The best move for the Lions would be to let things play out in 2014 and then work out a new contract, in McCosky’s view.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap offers his thoughts on the Browns‘ job in free agency. Fitzgerald didn’t like the Browns’ handling of the Alex Mack situation and gets the impression that they didn’t have a concrete plan regarding the center heading into the offseason. Additions Karlos Dansby, Donte Whitner, and Andrew Hawkins could give the team a boost, but they’re all overpaid. All in all, Fitzgerald gives the Browns and GM Ray Farmer a C grade.
Fitzgerald also offers up his thoughts on the Bengals‘ work in free agency. In short, he feels that the Bengals didn’t do nearly enough to improve their situation despite having plenty of cap room to make changes.

Lions Notes: Suh, Lora, Fortt, Couplin

April 23rd, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A few hours before the NFL officially announcing its 2014 schedule, New York radio station WFAN broke news of the Giants’ slate for the coming season. According to the report, the Giants’ ’14 season starts off with a Monday night matchup in Detroit against the Lions. Here are a few more Wednesday updates on those Lions:

Citing a source, Scott Bischoff of New Era Scouting reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Lions are open to the idea of trading Ndamukong Suh as a way of moving up as far as possible in the 2014 draft. I’m a little skeptical about how hard Detroit would push for a deal like that, even if the team could find a taker, and Bischoff himself notes that there’d be plenty of roadblocks (Twitter link).
In response to Bischoff’s report, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at how a hypothetical trade of Suh would work, exploring some reasons why it could make sense for the Lions.
Eastern Illinois wide receiver Erik Lora will be paying a visit to Detroit to meet with the Lions on Friday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Lions also hosted Cal linebacker Khairi Fortt and William & Mary safety Jerome Couplin for pre-draft visits today, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.

Suh Will Not Attend Voluntary Minicamp

April 21st, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Ndamukong Suh will not attend the Lions’ voluntary minicamp this week, according to the Associated Press (citing an unnamed source). The source, said to be “familiar with the situation,” adds that Suh does plan to attend the team’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp next month.

Because the Lions have a new head coach, Jim Caldwell, they were able to begin Phase 1 of voluntary offseason workouts two weeks ago. Phase 1 activities are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation, and although coaches are not permitted on the field or in the weight room during Phase 1, they can conduct instructional sessions in meeting rooms. 19 of the 25 teams who do not have new head coaches began Phase 1 today, and the remaining six clubs will begin tomorrow.

Suh has not shown up to team facilities since the Lions were first permitted to conduct offseason workouts on April 7, and while the absence of veteran players from these types of voluntary activities often means nothing, particularly when a well-established veteran is the absentee, those absences sometimes take on increased significance under certain circumstances. Suh’s teammate, Lions RB Reggie Bush, noted several weeks ago that he believed Suh’s lack of participation was a “contract thing,” and he is probably right.

Suh is in the last year of his deal with the Lions, and he carries a $22.41MM cap hit in 2014. Team president Tom Lewand recently expressed optimism that the two sides would get an extension worked out, and such an extension would indubitably make Suh one of the highest-paid defensive players in league history. If these contract discussions do not get resolved by next month, it will be interesting to see if Suh does in fact participate in May’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp as he currently suggests.

Poll: Should Ndamukong Suh Be With Team?

April 20th, 2014 at 7:51pm CST by Peter Sowards

Since joining the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been a wrecking ball. He has made three Pro Bowls in four seasons, was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned three All-Pro selections, and has totaled 27.5 sacks.

But, he has also been a lightning rod for criticism. As ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha cites in this column, Suh has been suspended and fined nearly $217K in the past three seasons. With questions swirling about his character, along with an entirely new coaching staff, Suh showing up to the team’s offseason workouts would be a step in the right direction for a player whose name is too often referred to in a negative context.

Instead, Suh spent time in Las Vegas, negotiating a contract in its early stages that would likely place the former Heisman Trophy finalist among the top-paid defensive players in NFL history.

Chadiha goes all in on Suh and the Lions, chastising the player for not showing up and chastising the team for not forcing him to come: “What nobody was willing to say is what is plainly obvious to anybody watching this situation: It says plenty that Suh chose to not attend these workouts. Even if he’s getting into phenomenal shape on his own, this was the first opportunity that [head coach] Jim Caldwell and his assistants had to educate their players on the team’s new offensive and defensive schemes. If Suh wasn’t crazy about the team’s philosophies on strength and conditioning, he could’ve seen the upside in that. These are the types of gestures that leaders make in order to foster a winning atmosphere.”

This is not an uncommon occurrence. Players regularly choose to work out on their own, especially players who are in negotiations over their contract. But, as Chadiha points out, with a new coaching staff and Suh’s reputation, it was a chance for Suh to curry favor with the team.

So, do you think that Suh should have been with his team for its voluntary offseason program? Or does it even matter? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.

NFC Notes: Lions, Williams, Aldon Smith

April 14th, 2014 at 10:54pm CST by Rory Parks

The Lions‘ brass held a town hall meeting for season ticket holders on Monday, and there were a few highlights. For instances, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that team president Tom Lewand is optimistic that a new deal for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will get done, although there is nothing new on that front just yet.

Vice President of Player Personnel Sheldon White also spoke at the meeting. Referencing the Lions’ late-game meltdowns in 2013, White said the team will be looking for “closers” in this year’s draft (Twitter link). And special teams coordinator John Bonamego said that finding a kicker is his “top priority” from a scouting standpoint (Twitter link) and that the team will compare Giorgio Tavecchio and John Potter with the players available in the draft to determine the best fit in that regard (Twitter link).

More notes from the NFC to close out the night:

Mark Craig of the Star Tribune tweets that free agent defensive tackle Kevin Williams visited with the Giants Monday night and that the visit will continue on Tuesday. As our Luke Adams recently wrote, Williams still offers solid value as a veteran run-stopper.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it would be hard to imagine the 49ers picking up Aldon Smith‘s option by the May 3 deadline, given that the team will not have “enough answers” regarding his latest off-field incident by that time. Instead, he believes the team will go year-to-year with Smith (Twitter link).
After meeting with the Titans, Colts, and Redskins, Louisville DE Marcus Smith will have his final pre-draft visit with the Eagles next week, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert is visiting the Saints, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

NFC Notes: Suh, Graham, Cardinals, Draft

April 10th, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Lions running back Reggie Bush speculated today that Ndamukong Suh‘s absence from the team’s offseason workouts may be contract-related, but as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, Suh has made a habit of skipping these workouts in past seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported (via Twitter) that Suh’s absence wasn’t related to his contract, and head coach Jim Caldwell indicated he knew the defensive tackle wouldn’t be in town for the start of the club’s offseason program (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….

Saints GM Mickey Loomis has shot down the notion that the team has to reach some sort of resolution on Jimmy Graham‘s contract situation by April 22, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had originally suggested that the April 22 date represented the deadline for Graham to file a grievance about his franchise-tag position. However, having reviewed the CBA, Florio now admits that Graham actually has three years to challenge his tight end designation, meaning there’s certainly no rush yet for the two sides to strike a deal.
Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that he was “shocked” when he heard that offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would hit the open market after the Raiders decided not to franchise him. Veldheer, of course, ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Cards.
As he has been doing for the last few weeks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a couple pre-draft visits. According to Wilson, Florida State center Bryan Stork is visiting the Saints today and tomorrow, while Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has met with or worked out for the Falcons, Cardinals, and Colts so far.
The contract punter Blake Clingan signed with the Redskins is a two-year deal worth $930K that includes no guaranteed money, tweets Wilson. That makes it a minimum salary pact, with base salaries of $420K (2014) and $510K (2015).