Ndamukong Suh rumor roundup: Seahawks, Raiders, Lions, more

We're still a month away from the start of free agency, but rumors are already swirling about where defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will play in 2015 and beyond. I'm sure rumors will continue to swirl in the coming weeks as free agency draws closer, but let's take a moment to address some of the recent rumblings about him.

Suh wants to play for the Seattle Seahawks

This rumor originated from Bleacher Report's Jason Cole last Friday. Cole reported that Suh wants to return to the Pacific Northwest since he is from Portland, Oregon. Since the Seahawks are the only NFL team in the Pacific Northwest, going to Seattle would be the closest thing to him returning home. On top of that, the Seahawks did just go to back-to-back Super Bowls, which I'm sure is appealing to any free agent.

True or false? Who wouldn't want to play for a successful team like the Seahawks after what they've done in recent years? I'm sure a lot of guys want to join a team that is a perennial contender for the Super Bowl, but it's unlikely the Seahawks will have enough cap space to actually sign a player like Suh based on what kind of contract he is allegedly after. Although this contradicts the idea that Suh wants to play in New York, this rumor could very well be true, but it's really irrelevant since the Seahawks aren't a realistic option based on their cap situation.

The Oakland Raiders are going to "overbid" for Suh

According to Cole's report, Suh wants to be on the West Coast even if that means playing for a team other than the Seahawks. Enter the Raiders, which have a ton of cap room and lots of money to spend. The thinking here is that the Raiders are going to be willing to "overbid" for Suh's services since they need to spend money and since it will likely take an outlandish offer for them to be a legitimate contender in this situation. They don't have any recent track record of success to point to, so simply overbidding is their best hope of landing Suh.

True or false? This rumor seems quite realistic. The Raiders have lots of room to work with, and attracting a top player like Suh will likely require them outbidding other teams. That doesn't mean Suh will for sure sign with them even if they present the top offer, but if it's true that he wants to play on the West Coast, Oakland is probably his best bet.

Suh is preparing for his exit from the Detroit Lions by putting his house up for sale

I'm still not quite sure where this rumor originated from, but it popped up on Twitter on Sunday that Suh had recently put his house in Michigan up for sale. Trying to sell your house doesn't guarantee that you're leaving town, of course, but timing-wise, it would be a bad sign for the Lions if Suh suddenly had plans to move.

True or false? This rumor appears to be false. I spent way more time than I'd like to admit looking through real estate listings on Sunday, and Suh's house was not listed for sale anywhere. I suppose it's possible that he is selling it more discreetly, and in that scenario perhaps he simply wants to move elsewhere in Michigan and this is unrelated to his impending free agency, but as far as I can tell, his home is not currently on the market.

The Lions haven't even reopened contract negotiations with Suh

Despite the recent optimism from team president Tom Lewand and the recent report from ESPN about the Lions being the favorites to sign Suh, there has been no indication that contract talks between the two sides have actually been reopened. Last summer, the Lions decided to table talks until after the season, but at least as of last week, it appeared that negotiations were still on hold despite the season being over.

True or false? This is true, according to the Free Press' Dave Birkett. He reported last Friday that "the two sides have not yet resumed negotiations." That's certainly not a good sign in my view, but Birkett also reported that the Lions have "told the agent of at least one pending free agent defensive tackle that they expect Suh to return." I'm not sure how they can be so optimistic if negotiations haven't even picked back up, but maybe the franchise tag is more of a viable option than originally thought. Or, perhaps the Lions know what number Suh is after and they're willing to go up to it and are just waiting to speak to Suh's agent at the NFL Combine. It's quite common for negotiations to take place at the NFL Combine, and it would make sense if the Lions are planning to take care of their business involving Suh later this month in Indianapolis.