Lions favored to re-sign Suh
— -- One of the biggest offseason questions is where Detroit Lions All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will land as an unrestricted free agent.
According to multiple sources, the favorite for his landing spot is -- Detroit.
The Lions have made it a high priority to re-sign Suh, despite the obvious price tag, especially with the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt landing a $100 million deal last year without the leverage of free agency.
But the Lions have gotten positive vibes from Suh about wanting to continue his career where it started.
Salary-cap wise, though, it presents a challenge. One team source told ESPN that signing Suh would theoretically be the priority even if it meant losing star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. But the Lions believe they can manage to have both on the roster.
Cash is not a issue for the franchise, which allows for some manipulation of restructured contracts and guaranteed money. Johnson's contract could be among those who restructure their contracts to create space for Suh, if necessary.
Lions team president Tom Lewand said on the television show Flashpoint on WDIV in Detroit on Sunday that he believes there is a chance they could get something done with Suh in the next few weeks.
Both Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew have said consistently over the past year they had confidence Suh wanted to remain in Detroit and that a deal would get done with him.
He also said he believes the team will be able to manage having the hefty contracts of Suh, Johnson and Matthew Stafford on the roster because the franchise has done that in the past.
At the NFL Honors awards show on Saturday, Johnson said he would "do whatever I got to do" to help the Lions keep Suh.
Sources, however, said that if the Lions can't get a deal done with Suh before free agency begins, the bidding dynamics could change their status as a favorite to keep him.
ESPN's Mike Rothstein contributed to this report.
