With the Lions still on the hook for roughly $9.7M of Suh cap space this upcoming season Martin Mayhew and the rest of the Lions’ front office continued to pick up the pieces in the wake of their All-Pro defensive tackle getting way and signing in South Beach. Monday’s angle was telling Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press the team would be financially better off without Suh’s large contract on the books.
Via NBC Sports:
“I think in the long term, I think we’re going to be glad we don’t have that contracton our books,” Mayhew said, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But in the short term, that’s an issue.”
Sun’s deal with Miami was for approximately $60M in guaranteed money which is the largest sum of promised cash to player that isn’t a quarterback in the NFL. And yes, no matter how some Lions fans want to break it down the team will be better off without Ndamukong Suh.
But don’t let Mayhew and the rest of the Lions inept front office fool you.
The Lions are in this position by default and that sheer ineptitude alone. Their offer to Suh wasn’t much less than what Miami offered so Mayhew was fully prepared to set the Lions back… financially in the short and long-term future. Let’s also not forget the comical gamble they took with Nick Fairley’s contract and the laughable pick of Eric Ebron in last year’s draft which is even more cringe-worthy now when you consider Suh being gone and Aaron Donald becoming a Pro Bowler in his first season. The bottom line was Mayhew and Lewand didn’t have a plan B beyond the monstrous contract everyone in the NFL knew Ndamukong Suh would eventually get.
Don’t worry though, as long as Mayhew and Lewand are in charge there will always be that opportunity for them to screw over the Lions in the short and long-term.
h/t: Detroit Lions (photo)