Amid stalled contract talks and trade speculation, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh emphasized Wednesday that he's "happy" to be in Detroit.
That sentiment was quickly swept under the rug when Suh mystified a throng of local reporters by pointing out that he could have arranged it so the Lions never drafted him in 2010.
"Probably a lot of you guys don't know, I could have gone elsewhere when I was drafted," Suh explained, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "Had that decision in my hands. I chose not to take it because that's just the way I saw it."
Asked to elaborate, Suh responded, "There's many ways to do things. You can drop down in the draft, you can move up."
Suh is correct. It's not unusual for agents to pull strings behind the scenes. In the extreme circumstance, the player can ensure that he never plays for a franchise that drafts him.
When a consensus top talent such as John Elway or Eli Manning holds the Colts or Chargers hostage, the organization has little recourse but to capitulate.
"It is my choice. It is for sure my choice," Suh insisted. "But like I said, that's water under the bridge."
Agent Roosevelt Barnes from Relativity Sports, who represented Suh until this past season, told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport that "pulling an Eli" was never discussed. But Suh's camp did make it clear that the defensive tackle would have to be paid as the top player in the draft commensurate with "once in a generation talent."
To sum up, Suh has no issues with Detroit. If he didn't want to be there, he could have avoided it.
Suh's comments will mercifully steer attention away from his meaningless absence from voluntary offseason workouts.
As logical as the explanation was, though, it's only going to open a new can of worms in the Motor City. That's the nature of the NFL beast during an offseason news vacuum.
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