Suh best FA since Reggie White

Suh is best FA since Reggie White

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When I was a guest on “Mike & Mike” this week, I made the comment that Detroit Lionsdefensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was the best free agent to hit the open market since Reggie White signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. Now, I don’t mean to say he’s quite the same caliber of player or that he has the same presence off the field, but to me, he is this generation’s Reggie White: a defensive player who is hitting the open market with the potential to change a franchise with his impact.

I’ve heard from a few people asking how I can place Suh above guys like quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees of the past few years, but remember, both of those guys carried significant injury risks at the time they hit the open market. Suh hasn’t missed a game due to injury in his five-year career, one of the many reasons he’s a player any NFL team would love to have on its roster. White, along with quarterback Brett Favre, helped change the Packers’ franchise, and Suh has the potential to do the same for his next team.

What makes him a 32-team free agent, and which teams should (and could) make a big run at him? Let’s take a look.

Why Suh is the best free agent since Reggie White

1. He can fit in any system. This is what I mean when I say he’s a 32-team free agent. Suh can fit in any defensive scheme, and most teams would gladly shift their scheme around if it meant landing Suh and maximizing his talent. He has such tremendous natural strength and strong hands that he can either play in a two-gap contain role, occupying multiple blockers, or a one-gap penetrator role. His power really separates him from other interior defensive linemen and makes him such a dominant force to play against. He is a true difference-maker.

2. He plays with incredible passion. It has gotten him into trouble on occasion, but make no mistake: Suh’s competitiveness and passion for the game are exactly what you want on your team. The entire defense’s mentality changes, feeding off his intensity, and the players know they have a dominant force lined up next to them. And as mentioned before, the only games he has missed have been due to suspension; there are no durability question marks here.

3. Players this talented hardly ever hit the market — but Detroit simply couldn’t afford him. There are two key dates that brought the Lions to the point of potentially losing Suh in free agency: March 12, 2012 and March 13, 2013. Those are the two dates they restructured his contract in order to create more cap space for those current seasons, pushing his 2014 salary-cap number to the point that using the franchise tag on him would have cost an obscene $27 million. Had they not re-done his deal those two times, they would have been able to franchise him this season for about $18 million, which they almost certainly would have done.

Now, the Lions still have a chance to re-sign him, but my guess is he’ll wind up with a new team this fall. But it’s important to note that the reason Suh is available has nothing to do with his play on the field, durability or off-field concerns; it’s purely a matter of Detroit backing itself into a corner from a financial standpoint and simply being unable to afford to keep him. That’s why it’s so rare for a player of Suh’s talent and production to be available.

Teams that should make a run at him

When I think of the most likely landing spots for Suh, I don’t look at just the teams with the most cap space, like Oakland and Jacksonville, and consider them the favorites. The reality is that any team in the NFL can create the room needed to sign him, with the possible exception of the Saints, who currently have a messy cap situation.

That doesn’t mean that pursuing Suh is necessarily the right move for every team, but every team should at least have a conversation to determine whether it’s the right course of action. That’s how good a player he is. The way I would look at it is this: If you’re spending $23 million on your entire defensive line right now, you could easily pay Suh the majority of that and then surround him with guys on rookie contracts, because by adding Suh, you’ll be making all of those young guys better. You’d still be allocating that same $23 million to your defensive line; you’d just be distributing it differently.

The following teams should make a run at Suh, in my opinion, and I also consider them realistic possibilities to land him:

Washington Redskins: This is an organization that hasn’t shied away from big signings under owner Dan Snyder, and it is in serious need of help on defense. It’s an interesting spot because new defensive coordinator Joe Barry has experience with both the 3-4 and the 4-3. I believe the team will play a 3-4 without Suh, but if it is able to sign him, it would switch to a 4-3 to feature him as a penetrating 3-technique D-tackle. He’d certainly have an impact on the scheme it plays.​

Miami Dolphins: Like the next team on this list, the Dolphins have the advantage of being in a state with no state income tax, which in the case of a deal the size Suh is likely to get would make a significant difference. We’re talking about a $13 million difference on a $100 million contract. The Dolphins play in a major market, which is said to be high on Suh’s list of preferences, and they could let Jared Odrick walk and sign Suh as the disruptive force in the middle of their defense. They could be a playoff team with Suh there.​

Dallas Cowboys: The team doesn’t appear to have a ton of money to spend but could definitely find a way to create the necessary room if it wants Suh badly enough. With Dez Bryant under the franchise tag, just letting DeMarco Murray leave in free agency might make enough space. Do you think Jerry Jones wouldn’t do that if he thought Suh could bring him a championship? Suh would completely change that defense, which was adequate last season but not at a high enough level to get the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. They’re a legit championship contender with Suh.​

New York Giants: To me, this might be the most intriguing fit of all. Using the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul doesn’t preclude the Giants from going after Suh, as they are completely different players and would create a scary front four for opposing offenses. Moreover, the Giants can offer Suh the opportunity to play in the league’s biggest media market, and even though they currently have less cap space than the Jets, they make more football sense because the Jets already have Sheldon Richardson as a pass-rushing interior lineman, and the Giants are better equipped to win right away. Quarterback Eli Manning has just one year left on his deal, so restructuring his contract to create room for Suh is an option at the Giants’ disposal.​

Others: The Jaguars and Titans deserve mention as other teams from states with no state income tax. They don’t qualify as big markets, but could pitch Suh on the opportunity to transform a franchise the way White did the Packers. Tampa Bay would also qualify if it didn’t already have Gerald McCoy. The Bears make sense from a football standpoint, and Chicago is a major market, but they might have too much money tied up on the offensive side of the ball and too many needs on defense to really make a push for Suh.

The last team that warrants a mention is Philadelphia, as the Eagles freed up a lot of room by agreeing to trade LeSean McCoy to the Bills. But they have enough needs that they might opt not to invest all of that money in just one player. They aren’t as likely to land Suh as their three rivals in the NFC East.