Suh Is A Priority For Lions - Caldwell

A day after the Detroit Lions' season ended with a 24-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had an emotional news conference where he broke down in tears, the Lions organization has made it clear that trying to bring him back is one of its top priorities.

Suh is eligible to become a free agent when the new league year starts March 10. Before the start of the 2014 season, the Lions halted contract negotiations with Suh on an extension or a new contract because they said they wanted to focus on the season.

Now, with their season over, the Lions can resume negotiating with Suh and his agent, Jimmy Sexton.

"That will continue to be one of our highest priorities," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "That's going to be addressed constantly here until we come to some conclusion."

The Lions drafted Suh with the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft out of Nebraska, and he became an impact player for Detroit immediately. In his five seasons with Detroit, he has played in 78 of 80 games and made 238 tackles, and he's had 36 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Suh also has forced defenses to scheme differently against the Lions to account for his ability to wreck games from the middle of the defensive line if left unblocked.

"There's no question about it," Caldwell said. "He's a dominant, dominant player who we benefit greatly from having his services. He's a tremendous asset to our team, and I'll leave it at that."

Suh asked reporters not to ask about his future when he spoke after Detroit's loss Sunday. He was not in the locker room during the open media session Monday while players cleaned out their lockers.

The Lions have some options with Suh. They can negotiate with him and eventually let him test the free-agency market, or they can use the franchise tag on Suh and bring him back for one season at over $26 million against the salary cap. Either way, the Lions will have $9.7 million of dead money from Suh on their salary cap in 2015.

The negotiations with Suh could also affect the Lions' other big free-agent defensive lineman, Nick Fairley.

Fairley did not play in Sunday's playoff game against Dallas because of a knee injury but said he was "right on the edge" of being able to. Eventually, he said, it was the decision of the doctors not to let him play but that he would have been available had the Lions beaten Dallas and played Seattle in a divisional game this weekend.

Fairley is a free agent because the Lions declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract before last season. He is due to become a free agent in March. Before his knee injury cost him the final nine games of his season, he had 14 tackles and a sack but was playing the most consistent football of his career.

Fairley said he feels comfortable with the city of Detroit and with the organization that drafted him with the No. 13 pick in 2011. Now at 290 pounds, he believes he has a bright future in the league and that he'd like it to be in Detroit.

"I want it to be, I'll say that," Fairley said. "I want it to be. I love Detroit, to be honest. The city, the people in it. I love the atmosphere and basically the hard work that it brings.

"I'm just a hard worker, and that's kind of the vibe that I get from the city, and I like it."