Suh Long! Farewell! What Do the Lions Do Now?

On Saturday afternoon the news broke that Lions free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had reached an agreement in principle with the Miami Dolphins on a record-breaking 6-year, $114 million contract that will guarantee Suh $60 million. While Suh can't officially sign the contract until 4:00pm EST today, it's probably a safe bet another team (like the Lions) won't be able to swoop in and change Suh's mind.

So let's assume Suh is officially no longer a Detroit Lion. It's a huge blow to the Lions defense, which was the 2nd-best defense in the entire NFL in 2014. The Lions basically built their defense around Suh considering his dominance at the DT position, so it leaves a large hole to fill through free agency and the draft.

That said, losing Suh gives the Lions somewhere close to $17 million in cap space they can spend on free agents to fill some holes they have at multiple positions like offensive line, cornerback and, of course, defensive tackle.

So in this post not only will we take a look at which free agents the Lions might go after, we'll be taking a look at why the Lions might consider switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense now that Suh leaving. In fact, after the jump that's the first part we're going to tackle.

WHY WOULD DETROIT GO TO 3-4?

Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has experience working with a 3-4 defense, having been the defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals and the Baltimore Ravens, both of whom ran a 3-4 scheme while Austin coached for them. So while the players may not be too familiar with it, Austin definitely should be. (For those who don't know, a 3-4 defense means there are three defensive linemen and four linebackers like the Green Bay Packers use, as opposed to a 4-3 defense with four defensive linemen and three linebackers like the Lions have utilized for as long as I can remember.)

While Austin's familiarity with the 3-4 defense could be considered a strength, another strength should the Lions make the switch is their linebacker corps. In fact, linebacker is arguably the deepest position on the entire team. Heck, I'd definitely make that argument myself.

Outside linebacker DeAndre Levy was 2nd-team All-Pro in 2014 (and probably deserved 1st-team if it weren't for 3-4 linebackers like Kansas City's Justin Houston and Denver's Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller getting more recognition because of their sack totals). Levy is simply one of the best linebackers in the NFL right now, especially in pass coverage and sideline-to-sideline tackling.

Inside linebacker Stephen Tulloch missed all but 3 games in 2014 after tearing his ACL in Week 3 against Green Bay, but Detroit recently announced they were bringing him back with hopes he'll rebound to his old 100+ tackle seasons (he topped 100 tackles from 2009-2013). He'd very much fit in as one of the two middle linebackers needed in a 3-4 scheme.

Tahir Whitehead filled in admirably at inside linebacker in Tulloch's absence in 2014, averaging just under 6 tackles per game in 13 starts. There was some thought that because of Whitehead doing so well, the Lions wouldn't bring Tulloch back. But since they're both coming back, Detroit would seem to have two starting-caliber inside linebackers for a 3-4 scheme.

2014 2nd round Kyle Van Noy didn't do a whole lot his rookie season, though I'd chalk some of that up to Van Noy having core muscle surgery in the preseason and trying to bounce back late in the regular season. While Van Noy struggled in 2014, he excelled as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme at Brigham Young University. It would stand to reason he might do well as a 3-4 OLB in the pros eventually, too.

And those are just the starters Detroit would already have in place. Ashlee Palmer is an unrestricted free agent but probably wouldn't cost much to bring back. Josh Bynes is a restricted free agent but Detroit has already said they want to bring him back. And last, Julian Stanford, Travis Lewis and Jerrell Harris are already under contract to provide depth and special teams play. I'm sure Detroit could also draft a LB or two to fit a new 3-4 scheme if they made the switch.

As for how the defensive line would look in a 3-4 scheme, you could pencil in defensive ends Ziggy Ansah and Jason Jones in as starters. Heck, like Van Noy, Ansah played in a 3-4 scheme at BYU. He could also be used as a stand-up pass rusher on the outside on passing downs similar to how Houston uses J.J. Watt.

The key to Detroit making a possible switch from 4-3 to 3-4, though, is acquiring a defensive tackle or two who can play nose tackle (the big, hulking guy who would play in-between the defensive ends in a 3-4 scheme). The Lions currently don't have a player like that on their roster, so they'd need to get one in free agency or draft one. 

As luck would have it, there are plenty of players available via both those routes who could fit such a role. The Lions could sign Cardinals DT Dan Williams, for example, and then draft Florida State DT Eddie Goldman.

As free agency truly kicks into gear at 4:00pm today, we'll start to see if the Lions possibly are switching to a 3-4 defense. If they sign a guy like Williams or Broncos DT Terrance Knighton, that could very well point towards such a switch. I'll be curious to see what happens on that front.

UPDATE 5:14PM: The Lions kicked things off just before the start of the new league year by trading their 2015 4th and 5th round draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and a 2015 7th round draft pick.

FREE AGENT TARGETS FOR DETROIT

Speaking of Dan Williams and Terrence Knighton, let's get to the part of this post where I bide my time by looking at which available free agents the Lions could go after and, in my opinion, should go after.

Even though the three-day negotiating period that started on Saturday has strict rules in place saying teams cannot officially offer a contract to a player, we already have a good idea of where some free agents will be signing.

Bears DT Stephen Paea and Dolphins DT Jared Odrick seemed like good options to replace Suh, but reports have Paea going to the Washington NFL Team and Odrick to Jacksonville. Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell is going to Philadelphia, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson is returning to Houston and Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers is returning to San Diego. Broncos guard Orlando Franklin is going to the Chargers and 49ers guard Mike Iupati is going to the Cardinals. Those are all guys who would've been good fits for Detroit, though some would've been expensive.

With all those guys off the market, let's look at who's still available.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES THEY COULD SIGN

Nick Fairley, Lions: The most obvious guy on the list of Suh replacements, the Lions have reportedly been negotiating with Fairley and his representatives, but it looks like Fairley will be hitting free agency Tuesday afternoon. Some people believe now that the Lions lost Suh, re-signing Fairley is imperative. I disagree with that sentiment. When healthy and in shape Fairley can be very good. But he's missed 17 career games due to injury, and prior to last offseason when the Lions declined Fairley's option in an effort to motivate him, Fairley was usually not in top shape. If the Lions can bring him back for less than the $5.5 million option the Lions turned down, with incentives and bonuses for health and performance, I'd be cool with that. But they shouldn't get in a bidding war for Fairley's services.

Terrence Knighton, Broncos: The 29-year-old Knighton is fantastic as a run-stopper and would be a very good signing for Detroit if they switch to 3-4. To be fair he'd also be good even if they stayed 4-3. Last year he ranked as the 12th best defensive tackle in the NFL per Pro Football Focus, and ranked 6th in 2013. There's a chance he might be the most expensive available DT not named Suh, so if Detroit signs him it might hurt their ability to make other signings, but he'd be a good way to start replacing Suh.

Dan Williams, Cardinals: A 27-year-old prototypical nose tackle, Williams won't replace the pass rush that Suh could bring, but he's great as a run-stopper and he could come cheaper than most of the other available DTs. If the Lions are actually considering going 3-4, Williams would be a perfect fit. Even if they're staying 4-3, he'd be a good addition if paired with a pass rusher like Fairley.

Henry Melton, Cowboys: He's the same age as Suh (28) and he's better rushing the passer than he is stopping the run, but he's also somewhat injury prone like Fairley. Not the ideal replacement, but again, if paired with someone else he could be okay.

Vince Wilfork, Patriots: He's 34, which is pretty old in football terms for his position, but if Detroit wants a veteran nose tackle to help install a 3-4 scheme, there aren't many better options.

C.J. Mosley, Lions: The 31-year-old has played for Detroit the past 2 seasons as a nice backup to Suh and Fairley, even filling in quite well in Fairley's absence last year. If Detroit sticks with 4-3, it would make sense to bring him back.

Kendall Langford, Rams: Langford has already visited the Lions as he was cut by the Rams and didn't need to wait until the league year starts on today. Apparently he can play in both 4-3 and 3-4, so he'd be a versatile addition and is only 29.

WHO SHOULD THEY SIGN?: My preferences would be Knighton or Williams to hold down the fort as the nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme, with Mosley coming back as depth, or Langford because of his versatility. But if Detroit stays 4-3, Knighton should still be the top target with Fairley and/or Mosley brought back at reduced rates. It's my belief that Detroit will use their 1st round draft pick on a DT, too, as they severely need players at that position since 2014 5th round pick Caraun Reid is the only one at that position under contract.

CORNERBACKS THEY COULD SIGN

Darrelle Revis, Patriots: Revis is on course to become a free agent when 4:00pm strikes since the Patriots have announced they're not picking up his 2015 option, so I have Revis here just in case the Patriots don't wind up re-signing him before that time. He'd be incredibly expensive but he's also the best CB in the league not named Richard Sherman. That said he'd be more of a luxury since the Lions clearly aren't one or two pieces away from a ring.

Chris Culliver, 49ers: According to Pro Football Focus, out of this year's free agent cornerbacks Culliver was the 4th-best behind Revis, Kareem Jackson and Detroit's own Rashean Mathis. Culliver's only 27, had 4 INT and 14 passes defended in 2014. I guess there are some character concerns though, and Jim Caldwell isn't fond of those types of players. That could hurt Culliver's candidacy. But if he can prove that he's grown past those, he'd be a nice partner across from Darius Slay.

Tramon Williams, Packers: Williams has tormented the Lions for years and is very durable even if he's on the wrong side of 30. The 31-year-old would be a very good veteran pickup to play across from Slay, with the added benefit of taking him from a division rival. 

Perrish Cox, 49ers: Not as good as his teammate Culliver, but Cox should be cheaper and could be a nickel/dime package CB. The Lions were severely hampered by their lack of depth at CB last year (due in part to a rash of injuries), so Cox wouldn't be a bad pickup simply from that aspect.

Rashean Mathis, Lions: He's 35 so you'd imagine his best years are behind him, and yet he had one of his best years ever in 2014. As I mentioned earlier, he rated out as the 3rd-best CB in the free agent market and the 12th-best in the whole league. I'd imagine Detroit could get him back at a respectable rate.

Davon House, Packers: Only 25 and hasn't really been given a chance to start for the Packers, but he's improved every year of his career and should come cheaper than most of these other guys. Even if he didn't pan out as a starter across from Slay, he'd be a good 3rd-stringer. (UPDATE 11:15AM: House is reportedly going to sign with Jacksonville.)

Patrick Robinson, Saints: Another guy who'd fit in well as a nickel CB.

WHO SHOULD THEY SIGN?: The cornerback market appears to be pretty expensive this offseason, with Byron Maxwell getting a 6-year, $63 million deal from Philly, Brandon Flowers getting a 4-year, $36 million deal from San Diego and Kareem Jackson getting a 4-year, $34 million deal from Houston. Because of that, guys like Revis, Culliver and Williams might be pricey. But if Detroit can get a Culliver or Williams for around $8 million a year, I say they should do it. At a minimum they need to get House, Cox or Mathis if they miss out on the bigger names.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN THEY COULD SIGN:

Clint Boling, G, Bengals: With Mike Iupati and Orlando Franklin off the board, Boling is the best free agent guard remaining. He's a strong run-blocker which is something the Lions sorely need. Boling could be a good replacement for Rob Sims, who's starting to struggle as he ages.

Stefen Wisniewski, C, Raiders: Considered one of the best, young centers in the league, Wisniewski has alternated between good and bad grades for run and pass blocking in his career according to PFF. But he's only 25 and if he can put it together, he could be a really nice (possibly long-term) replacement for Dominic Raiola at center.

Bryan Bulaga, T, Packers: Bulaga has been the starting right tackle for the Packers since he was drafted and has been one of the best in the league during that time. Though he's never played a full season, he did turn in the best season of his career in 2014. Detroit had a turnstile at RT last year which really hurt them at times. Though he might be pricy, Bulaga would be a very good get. (Update 2:15pm: Bulaga has re-signed with the Packers for 5 years worth $7 million per year.)

WHO SHOULD THEY SIGN?: I know it's a cheap answer, but any one of these three guys if they can. Wisniewski would allow Travis Swanson to play right guard. Bulaga could possibly make the switch to left tackle, allowing Riley Reiff to switch to right tackle. Boling would just be an upgrade at either guard position. Seriously, any of of these three guys would be a nice addition.

My Predictions: My best guesses for who the Lions will actually sign of the guys I've listed in this post are Dan Williams, C.J. Mosley, Davon House. Obviously there are plenty of other free agents that I didn't mention here and very well could end up becoming Lions, but these are some of the bigger names that would fit well in Allen Park.