It’s been almost two months since the Raiders were first connected to Ndamukong Suh, but we haven’t heard a whole lot since that initial report. It sounds like the lack of progress on a potential contract is due to money. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders do have interest in Suh but not at his current asking price.
The Raiders’ interest in the veteran is a new development. When the two sides were first connected in June, it was mostly one sided, with Suh tweeting that a stint in Las Vegas “could be fun.” The defensive lineman also went as far as to reach out to Raiders players like Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones. However, at that time, it was reported that the Raiders weren’t especially interested in adding the free agent to their roster.
Suh’s price, which Reed pegs at around $9M per year, is one reason why the Raiders haven’t made a stronger push to sign him. However, the coaching staff also wants to see what they’ve got from their in-house options. Both Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols returned from PUP this week after sitting out all of training camp and most of OTAs. Reed opines that the organization wants to see how these two players look on the field before pivoting to an option like Suh.
Suh’s run of Pro Bowls stopped in 2016, but he became a key piece for Rams and Bucs Super Bowl-bound teams in the years that followed. Last season, he registered six regular-season sacks and added four hits on Matthew Stafford in Tampa Bay’s narrow divisional-round loss. The 35-year-old DT flirted with a return to the Buccaneers earlier this offseason, but it sounds like that ship has sailed. The Vikings and Browns have also been mentioned as potential landing spots for Suh.
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