Suh interested in Seahawks, but logistics are in the way
Feb 6, 2015, 5:42 PM | Updated: 5:45 pm
Free agent Ndamukong Sug reportedly considers the Seahawks his "No. 1 choice" to sign with. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Former Seattle Sports Lead Editor
It takes two to tango, both on the dance floor and in NFL free agency.
Keep that in mind before you start picturing All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in a Seahawks uniform next season and imagining all the havoc he could wreak alongside Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.
It would take more than Suh being interested in the Seahawks, which according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, he very much is. Suh is an unrestricted free agent, and Cole reported Friday that he considers Seattle his “No. 1 choice,” among the reasons being his ties to the Northwest as a native of Portland.
It’s not as though Seattle wouldn’t have interest in Suh, who has been one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior defensive linemen during his five years in the league. But as Cole mentioned, signing Suh would be difficult if not entirely unlikely because of the Seahawks’ financial situation and the big-budget contract it would take.
Seattle is expected to give quarterback Russell Wilson an extension that could top $20 million a season. It might take a new deal – and a raise for 2015 – to get running back Marshawn Lynch to return. And Seattle already has six defensive players making anywhere between $6.75 million and $14 million a season on deals that were signed within the last two years.
All of that will make it a challenge to both re-sign cornerback Byron Maxwell and extend middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, let alone splurge on Suh, who will likely command well over $10 million a season.
Maintaining a Super Bowl roster is one of the most difficult things to do in the NFL. Adding to it with a high-priced free agent is even harder, which makes it tough to imagine Suh in Seattle, as much as he might want that.
