Ndamukong Suh talks about possible long-term deal with Lions

Much has been made about defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's contract. Because the final year of his deal is voidable, Suh really only has two seasons left until he could hit free agency. Thanks to the Detroit Lions restructuring his deal multiple times, Suh's cap hit for 2014 is set to be $21.4 million, so he will almost certainly become a free agent unless he agrees to a long-term deal with the team. The franchise tag isn't really in play because of his cap hit next year.

While Suh has always maintained that he wants to stay in Detroit and win a Super Bowl with the Lions, there has been some skepticism over whether he will truly stay with the team. As a free agent, he would almost certainly receive a massive pay day, and he'd likely have his pick of teams with how much interest there'd be in him. And considering the Lions have to worry about big contracts with Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford, will there really be room for a big deal with Suh?

All of this remains to be seen, but Suh, for what it's worth, said this week that he'd "love to be here in Detroit." He didn't make an outright commitment to stay with the Lions or anything like that, but he hinted at a desire to continue his career in Detroit beyond his current deal. From the Free Press:

"I’m two years away from even considering those things, but to be honest with you I’d love to be here in Detroit," Suh said after the Lions’ fifth OTA practice of the off-season. "It’s a team and it’s an organization I love being a part of and playing for. It was fun, even (last) Thursday being able to somewhat hang out with our owners at the Red Wings game.

"So it’s fun to be around and have that charisma in this city, and if the opportunity is there I’m definitely looking at it. It’s a beautiful city. I have a house here. That tells you enough right there."

When it comes to long-term deals, Stafford is priority No. 1 right now. The best-case scenario for the Lions would be to work something out with Stafford before the 2013 season, allowing them to put their focus on getting Suh a new deal next year and ensuring that he isn't able to become a free agent in 2015.