Detroit Lions confident they'll get Ndamukong Suh back

During the 2014 NFL season, the Detroit Lions looked like a legitimate contender in the NFC. They won close games all year-long, and made the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were the last seed in the NFC playoffs due to a loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 of the regular season.

Detroit had to head into Dallas to face the Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs and simply couldn't get the job done. There were quite a few controversial calls throughout the course of the game, but the fact of the matter is that the Lions didn't finish the job and let up too early.

Ndamukong Suh was a big part of the Lions' defense all year-long, and he helped them be one of the better defenses in the NFL. They finished as the 13th ranked defense against the pass, but the best defense against the run.

Having a 6'4″ and 305-pound beast in the middle of the defensive line helped shut down the running game for most opposing teams.

Throughout the course of the 2014 regular season, Suh put together a very solid stat-line. He totaled 53 tackles and 8.5 sacks, which shows off the versatility that he possesses despite having such a big body.

Despite the fact that Suh will be a heavily sought after free agent, the Lions are fairly confident that they will be able to bring him back.

That brought Sunday, when team president Tom Lewand said on a local television show, "Flashpoint," that he believes there is a "very, very good chance" the team gets "something" done with Suh in the next few weeks. This on top of a report from colleague Chris Mortensen that said the Lions are the favorites to land Suh, as of now.

At 28 years of age, this could be the last big deal that Suh signs in his NFL career. He is going to get a long-term deal worth quite a bit of money, but he'll consider other offers other than the Lions. If they can match any other offer that a team gives to Suh, then they will likely be able to figure out a new deal with their star defensive lineman.

All of that being said, the 2015 NFL offseason has a chance to be the busiest offseason that the league has seen in quite some time. There are quite a few star players on the market and quite a few teams itching to spend some big money to improve quickly.

Expect to see quite a bit of interest in Suh immediately when he hits the open market, but still expect to see him wind up back in Detroit.

H/T ESPN.com

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