I thought I was going to stay in Detroit - Ndamukong Suh

Before free agency started, Ndamukong Suh thought for sure he was going to re-sign with the Lions, but in the end, the team's six-year, $102 million offer that included $58 million in guaranteed money was too little, too late.

"I thought at every single point through the process that I was going to be in Detroit," Suh said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press.

Even when Suh didn't get hit with the franchise tag, he still thought the Lions would do enough to keep him. One of the reasons he felt good about Detroit is because owner Martha Ford personally called him on March 3 after the Lions decided not to tag him.

"Even after they didn't do the franchise tag and I spoke to Mrs. Ford after that piece, I still felt just a great, great chance of me still being in Detroit," Suh said. "So, it wasn't until really, really late, late in the process is where I was like, 'Wow, I got to, I actually got to start thinking outside of Detroit.'"

It's not clear how "late in the process" things were when Suh finally gave up on Detroit, but some Lions fans felt like Suh ditched the team for money.

Suh had made it clear that he wanted to be the NFL's highest paid defensive player and the Lions $102 million offer would have given him that title.

Instead of signing with Detroit though, Suh signed a record-setting six-year, $114 million deal with the Dolphins that included $60 million in guarantees.

"There is no question that it's a huge misconception that I didn't want to be [in Detroit]," Suh said. "I've always wanted to be here, especially growing up (as a person) here, being drafted here and having such a huge warm welcome. I think anybody would be crazy not to want to be at a place that they're superbly embraced."

In the end, Suh took the deal that was worth more money because he decided that's what was best for his family.

"For me, my goal was always to come back [to Detroit]," Suh said. "I was never looking to want to leave and figure out a different situation. But at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for myself and for my family because at the end of the day, those are people I have to look in the eyes each and every single day for the rest of my life and know I made the right decision for us as a whole and for my future and my future kids, my wife, that I'll eventually hopefully have soon."

Basically, it was time to move on.

"The circumstances of what's fair for both sides and where both sides were happy and at the end of the day I don't think both sides would have been happy here to where we ended up," Suh said. "It's unfortunate, but it's a part of life and you have to grow up and move on."

For Suh, moving on means making more money and living in a warmer city. Not a bad deal, if you can get it.