Despite last-ditch effort, Suh leaving Lions for Miami

Ndamukong Suh never hid his desire to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, and on Tuesday he'll get his wish.

Suh plans to sign with the Miami Dolphins when free agency opens next week on a deal that will pay him roughly $19 million per year, two people familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak about it publicly told the Free Press.

The contract, first reported by ESPN, will pay Suh about $114 million over the next six seasons, includes about $60 million guaranteed and vaults him past J.J. Watt as the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

The Detroit Lions made a last-ditch effort to keep Suh, offering a deal that would pay him an average of $17 million per season with $58 million guaranteed over the weekend, but in the end they did not want to approach Miami's money to lock up the league's best interior lineman.

Suh's side never made the Lions a firm offer during negotiations, which started last spring, but Suh still was considering staying in Detroit as recently as Saturday night because of his relationship with Lions coach Jim Caldwell and others in the organization.

Neither Suh nor his agent, Jimmy Sexton, returned messages today, and the Lions declined comment on the deal.

A three-time first-team All-Pro, Suh's departure leaves the Lions with a gaping hole in the middle of their defense.

Suh had a team-high 8.5 sacks last year, and the Lions led the NFL in rushing defense en route to their second playoff appearance in Suh's five seasons in Detroit. Miami finished 8-8, in third place in the AFC East, and with the league's 21st-ranked defense.

The Lions spent most of the past year insisting they would get a deal done with Suh, but they showed little inclination to meet his demands of being the highest paid defensive player in the game last spring, declined to use the franchise tag on Monday, and by late Saturday it became apparent they would not match Miami's contract offer.

Suh, 28, had no shortage of suitors as the most coveted free agent on the market, an in-his-prime pass rusher who commands regular double-teams.

The Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers all had some interest in signing Suh, but in the end the Dolphins' offer, championed by free-spending owner Stephen Ross, drove most bidders away.

With Suh gone, the Lions need to sign two free-agent defensive tackles to restock a defensive line that's been one of the best in the NFL the last few years.

They've been in regular communication about re-signing Nick Fairley, who many consider the second-best defensive tackle on the market, and want to add a run-stuffing nosetackle to play on the interior of their line.

Fairley, the 13thoverall pick in the 2011 draft, has 13.5 sacks in four years with the Lions but has never played all 16 games in a season. Last year, Fairley missed half the season with two sprained ligaments in his knee, an injury he suffered when he collided with Suh in the Lions' win over the Atlanta Falcons in London.

The Lions declined the fifth-year option on Fairley's rookie contract last spring because of injury concerns, and were lukewarm about signing to him to a long-term deal when they thought they had a good shot of retaining Suh.

Beyond Fairley, Jared Odrick, who's expected to leave Miami now that the Dolphins have signed Suh, Dan Williams, Stephen Paea and Corey Peters are among a deep group of linemen who could interest the Lions.

Suh played 80 of a possible 82 games in five seasons with the Lions, including the playoffs – he was suspended two games for stomping on the leg of an opponent in 2011 and had a second suspension overturned on appeal last season – and leaves the team with 36 sacks, 239 tackles, four Pro Bowl selections and the makings of what is trending towards a Hall-of-Fame career.

He's easily the best player to leave the Lions as a free agent since the advent of free agency in 1993, and, aside from a useable chunk of cap space, the only thing the Lions will get for his departure is a compensatory draft pick, most likely in the third round, next year.

The Lions have about $17 million of available cap space to spend on free agents, sign their rookie class and perhaps use to sign players like DeAndre Levy to contract extensions later this year.

Along with defensive tackle, the Lions hope to add a starting-caliber cornerback and could look to bolster their offense with a running back or offensive lineman in free agency.

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.