Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY
(USA Today)—Ndamukong Suh was a lock to be the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
That’s how the system is set up. On the relatively rare occasion an “A”-level free agent gets to the open market, rather than re-signing or getting saddled with the franchise tag, he’s going to get a deal that blows the doors off and resets the market going forward.
In Suh’s case, that means a six-year, roughly $114 million contract that includes $60 million in guarantees from the Miami Dolphins, who are two years removed from the infamous splurge that paid top dollar for receiver Mike Wallace and linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler.
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