Any true NFL fan will tell you the off-season is just as exciting as the actual season. There’s the Combine, where NFL-hopefuls have one week to prove their worth in front of scouts from every team in the league. There’s also, of course, the Draft, where team managers, owners, and coaches scheme and squirm their way into position to snag top talent from the rookie level.
Those off-season events are greatly entertaining for fans, but the Free Agency period is hands-down where the most dramatic moves are made. Record-breaking players are traded with millions of dollars, draft picks, and even other players attached to the deals. Fans can do nothing but grin or groan as players skip town for a better payday and new players get added to the roster.
So far, this FA period has seen big names like LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and DeMarco Murray head to new cities. But the biggest news comes on the defensive side of the ball, as former Detroit Lions inside linebacker Ndamukong Suh announced he is heading to Miami — and he’s doing so as the highest paid defensive player in the league. The six-year contract he signed with the Fins is reportedly worth $114 million — $60 million of which Suh will get in the first three seasons.
It’s an astonishing amount of money, but Suh is arguably one of the best linemen in the league (He’s seen four Pro Bowls and recorded 36 sacks and 239 tackles in his five years as a Lion). His talent piqued the interest of many teams, with the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Chargers joining the Lions and the Dolphins as teams who hoped to sign the big playmaker. In the end, Suh decided to leave Detroit for the Sunshine State…and a whole lot of money.
Suh is not without his shortcomings, however. Even though he’s stayed comparably healthy over his career, he’s had some on-the-field behavior issues, with two incidents landing him in suspension territory. Still, the Fins had the money, and they seem content to take on what is almost surely going to be a rewarding — and crazy expensive — deal.
And c’mon now…who doesn’t want to see Tom Brady take a couple big hits from Suh? That possibility alone is worth a few million bucks, right?
