Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been an up and down off-season for the Detroit Lions and their fan base.
Immediately following the heart breaking and controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys in last seasons playoffs, speculation was instantaneously sparked that defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had played his last game in Honolulu blue due to his emotional post-game interview.
Over the next few months, rumors remained prevalent that Suh would eventually re-sign with the Lions, although that was obviously not the case. On March 8, three days before NFL Free Agency officially began, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen announced that Suh had reached an agreement to sign with the Miami Dolphins.
Ndamukong Suh will sign with #Dolphins on Tuesday based off parameters around $114 million and $60 million guaranteed, per sources.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) March 8, 2015
While some weren’t surprised by the departure, a majority of fans were left a bit stunned. In five seasons in Detroit, Suh went to the Pro Bowl four times and was named first-team All-Pro three times. He played in 78 of 80 regular-season games while making 238 tackles with 36 sacks, 13 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew would eventually make a trade to bring in a solid replacement in Haloti Ngata and would also sign promising youngster, Tyrunn Walker, but a lingering feeling of uncertainty and uneasiness remained in the air.
On April 30, some of the angst would be lifted however, as Mayhew and company would pleasantly surprise everyone with what many considered a very solid NFL Draft haul that included some promising undrafted free-agent signings.
For the most part, the dust has now settled on this small roller coaster of an off-season, and sights have shifted toward the future. Rookie mini camps recently concluded, and NFL training camp is on the horizon.
With expectations still high in the Motor City, I decided to give my thoughts on how I think 2015 may play out. So, with that said, lets take a look at my four bold predictions for the Detroit Lions in 2015.
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