The Detroit Lions made the playoffs in 2014 and they will be looking to keep things going under Jim Caldwell this year, but there could be some major changes, as Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and CJ Mosley are hitting free agency and they could be gone if Calvin Johnson doesn't rework his contract to free up some money.
The Lions almost won the NFC North division over the Packers last season, but they lost against Green Bay to finish and that put them into the playoffs as a wildcard. The team lost against the Cowboys and now they are coming into 2015 expecting to be back in the playoffs. Suh is the top free agent for the team and while Detroit is interested in keeping him, it could end up being too expensive to bring him back. If Suh leaves the team is more likely to bring back Fairley, as he will cost less as a free agent.
Suh has had his issues on the field, but he is an All-Pro player and could command a big contract on the market. The Lions could use the franchise tag on Suh, but that would cost the team $26.7 million on the salary cap and that likely is too much to give to one player, especially with Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford on the roster. According to Yahoo Sports, there are a number of teams that will be interested in Suh on the market, with Charles Robinson reporting that the Raiders, Browns, Jaguars and Bengals could go after the defensive tackle.
Suh is one of the best players in the league at his position and he comes in after putting up 8.5 sacks and helping the Lions to have one of the top defenses in the league. The Lions have a ton of money tied up in players like Stafford and Johnson and that could keep them from signing Suh. The team may consider cutting Reggie Bush, but the Detroit Free Press reports that it would only save the team about $2 million on the cap.
Bush did not have a good season and dealt with some injury issues, but it's likely the team keeps him since it doesn't really save much to cut him loose. Bush played in 11 games and had just 297 yards on the ground while catching 40 balls for 253 yards. Joique Bell was very effective for the Lions last season and he could start off ahead of Bush on the depth chart next year. Bush will be 30 in March and he could get another chance in Detroit in 2015.
Johnson makes $12.5 million next year after signing an eight-year, $150.5 million contract in 2012 and the team could ask him to restructure to free up some money this offseason. Johnson dealt with some injuries and played in 13 games this season, making 71 catches for 1077 yards and eight touchdowns. Golden Tate turned out to be a huge signing for the team last offseason and they could look at running backs like Mark Ingram or CJ Spiller to add some depth with Bush. The Lions have as good of personnel on offense as anyone in the league and they are hoping for a playoffs repeat in 2015.
