The clock is ticking on the Detroit Lions.
The team's exclusive negotiating rights with superstar defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh ends Friday night.
To this point, other teams around the league couldn't "legally" have discussions with Suh or his agent Jimmy Sexton, but a three-day negotiating window for them officially begins at midnight, even though a contract can't be signed before Tuesday at 4 p.m.
The Lions have had months to try to reach a long-term deal with Suh, but sometimes it takes 11th-hour pressure before both sides to come together.
That's still the dream for Suh fans in Detroit, but it's starting to look more and more like this is turning into their nightmare.
The Nike "This is a wall" billboard featuring Suh, located on the side of a building a couple blocks from Ford Field, recently was taken down.
— The Lions Man (@TheLionsMan) March 4, 2015
Coincidence or an indication of what's to come?
With rumors of mammoth offers expected to come flying in from possibly several teams, Suh is on the verge of becoming the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
That means more than $100 million for six years and, more importantly, at least $52 million guaranteed, probably more if a bidding war intensifies.
It will be interesting to see just how many teams get seriously involved. If they really want him, it's possible for just about any team to clear enough salary-cap space to fit him in simply by releasing a veteran or two and/or restructuring some other contracts to lower cap-hit numbers and/or getting creative with Suh's deal.
Nevertheless, here are the teams most likely to steal him away from the Lions:
MIAMI: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a major donor for the University of Michigan, has a reputation for trying to hit home runs. It sounds as if he's ready to do just that with Suh.
The Dolphins have a lot to offer. Not only a warm-weather climate but also no state tax, which would be a bonus of a few extra million for Suh.
They already have some good talent on defense, but adding Suh would take the Dolphins, a .500 team the last two years, to a playoff level.
Many analysts are now calling Miami the favorite in these Suh-stakes. Omar Kelly, a NFL writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, went so far as to tweet the following: "Teams think Suh to Miami is done."
OAKLAND: Suh reportedly already has scheduled a visit with the Raiders for next week. This has been one of the worst franchises in the league in recent years. They won just three games last year and haven't had a winning season since 2002.
But they're more than $60 million under the salary cap, which gives them the flexibility to try to make up financially for that state-tax bonus that Miami would feature.
INDIANAPOLIS: Of the teams most often mentioned to be after Suh, the Colts have been the most successful lately. They went 11-5 each of the last three years and have a talented young quarterback in Andrew Luck.
With Suh, they'd have the star on defense to match the star already on offense.
The question is whether this is just about money and the highest bid for Suh, or is winning also a top priority to him?
JACKSONVILLE: A franchise that's down and seemingly out, but they've got around $70 million in cap room. They desperately need someone to generate interest down there and could make the most ridiculous offer to get Suh's attention.
WASHINGTON: Owner Daniel Snyder can't be overlooked because he's a lot like Ross when it comes to shelling out big money for something he wants.
That's five contenders, but don't rule out Atlanta and either of the New York teams, especially the Jets. There were reports a while ago that Suh wanted to play in a major market like the Big Apple.
If the Lions lose him, the best thing for them would be for Suh to end up in the AFC.
The worst? Well, the Green Bay Packers -- the Lions' longtime nemesis in the NFC North â are currently some $30-million under the cap.
