The Detroit Lions have Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley hitting free agency in 2015 and the team is hoping to bring back both players, but if only one come back Suh will be the priority and this comes as the team may consider a new contract for Calvin Johnson to lower his cap number, while Reggie Bush could be in danger of getting released.
The Lions are coming into the offseason after making the playoffs in 2015 and Jim Caldwell now steps into year two looking to improve even more. Suh is the top free agent player on most lists in the NFL this year and that makes him the biggest target for the Lions. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are expecting to sign back Suh and general manager Martin Mayhew said that he is "optimistic" that the sides will get a deal done. UPDATE: REGGIE BUSH HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE LIONS.
Suh is reportedly looking to be one of the highest paid players in the NFL and he could command a contract in the seven figured. Adam Schefter at ESPN.com reports that Suh wants to be paid at least $100 million with $50 million guaranteed and there is a chance he could get even more than that. If the Lions sign Suh, it likely means that Fairley is going to leave and he could be a target for the teams that miss out on Suh. The Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and NY Jets have enough cap space and could chase Suh as a free agent.
The Lions likely will not use the franchise tag if they can't agree to a deal with Suh, as that would cost the team over $20 million on the cap. The Lions already have Calvin Johnson on a huge cap number along with Matthew Stafford and likely cannot afford a hit that big. Fairley has been up and down in his short career and in eight games last season he had one sack and 14 total tackles. Josina Anderson on Twitter reported that the team met with Fairley's reps at the NFL combine and that the discussions were "very positive" about his status.
The Lions may look at trying to save some cap space this offseason but cutting players, with Reggie Bush as a potential option to get cut loose. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions could save about $2 million if they release Bush and while that isn't much, it could be a factor as the team tries to keep Suh. Some have suggested this offseason that the team could ask Calvin Johnson to restructure his deal, as he has a hit over $20 million. According to Pro Football Talk, Mayhew spoke on the Lions official website and said that the team was "not concerned" with his $20.55 million cap hit.
The Lions had the top ranked rush defense in the league last season with Suh and Fairley in the mix and now the team is hoping to retain at least one of those players. Bush dealt with injuries last season and is also getting to the age of 30 by the time the season starts and those could be the main factors in what the team decides to do about the running back.