With the NFL trade deadline just over a week away, Ndamukong Suh's name once again is appearing in the rumor mill regarding potential deals. Suh and the Detroit Lions have been on very opposite ends when it comes to contract negotiations and the defensive end now has every plan to test the open market come the offseason. With fear of losing the first-round draft pick for nothing in return, will Detroit attempt to shop him before the deadline?
According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN NFL Nation, the Detroit Lions have no plans on shopping Suh to interested teams nor are they looking at any trade moves before the upcoming deadline. The two sides are on opposite ends when it comes to contract talks. Suh intends on being the highest-paid defensive player in the league and JJ Watt already set a very high bar for that. The Lions have yet to appear willing to meet those demands and might be preparing to part ways with the defensive star at the end of the year, but not sooner.
According to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, the Lions have fielded plenty of interest in Suh. Several teams have reportedly called about his pending availability at the deadline, but they team is not making any moves, understanding that keeping Suh on the roster gives them a better shot at contending in the playoffs.
"I don't have any plans to trade anybody," general manager Martin Mayhew said, via MLive.com. "I'll leave it at that. We kind of talk to everybody around the league, get calls from different teams and things like that. But I don't anticipate us making any moves at the trade deadline."
Mayhew does not believe any mid-season trade can instantly make the team better. He notes that bringing players into a new system means they must take time to adjust and he would rather put his focus on the current players on the field instead. The Lions have a lot of big issues to take care of once the year is over. Not only is Suh approaching free agency, but so is Nick Fairley. Losing both players will leave two very big holes on the defense that will need to be filled.
Right now, the Detroit Lions are 5-2 and remain in contention to make the postseason. Any big roster changes at the moment could help, but they could also hurt. All signs point to Suh remaining on the roster for the time being, but headed elsewhere come the summer.
