The Detroit Lions are working on a free agent deal for Ndamukong Suh and he likely will be the player they keep over Nick Fairley, who is also hitting free agency and this comes as Reggie Bush could see his release after an injury plagued season and some bad off the field allegations, leaving Joique Bell to take over on offense for Matthew Stafford.
Suh is considered to be the top free agent on the market this year and the Lions are interested in bringing him back on a long term deal. According to the Detroit Free Press, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said that he is "optimistic" that the two sides will get a deal done and that could come over the next few weeks. Suh and Nick Fairley are the top two free agents for the Lions and if the team signs Suh, it likely means that Fairley will be gone in 2015.
Suh reportedly wants to be one of the highest paid players in football and is looking for a deal worth over $100 million with at least $40 million guaranteed. Suh is an All-Pro player and can command that type of money and it appears that the Lions are willing to meet his demands. The Lions already have some major contracts with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson and that could lead to some cuts and tough decisions. According to Pride of Detroit, it's likely that the team will bring back Suh and that could mean Fairley leaves in free agency.
If a deal doesn't get done with Suh, the team likely will try and retain Fairley, but right now he is not the priority. Suh is coming in after another solid season with 8.5 sacks, but stats are not always the best way to judge defensive linemen anyway. Suh helped the team have the number one rushing defense last season and they want to keep him with the Lions. The Raiders, Browns, Bengals and Seahawks have been mentioned as potential options, but it looks like Suh isn't going anywhere.
The Lions may look at the release of Reggie Bush this offseason despite the fact that cutting him loose will not save all that much money. According to Pro Football Talk, Mayhew spoke about Bush and said that his future is "up in the air" and while he didn't elaborate, there are a number of reasons why that is the case. Bush is nearing 30, dealt with injuries last season, wasn't that productive and he has also been accused of some unsavory off the field accusations regarding spiking drinks of women.
Bush has denied the allegations, but the other reasons may add up to a release from the Lions. The team, has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick as options in the backfield and both players stepped up with Bush out last season. Bush was limited to just 297 rushing yards last season while missing five games and he was not as productive in the offense when he was healthy. The Lions can save just under $2 million by letting go of Bush and it comes as he is set to make $3.5 million. There is a chance that Bush could get asked to take a pay cut for 2015 over getting released.