Players and coaches agree: Ndamukong Suh is worth $100 million

The Detroit Lions rolled into New England on Nov. 23 with the league's top-ranked defense.

And then they were destroyed.

The Lions didn't allow more than 24 points to anybody else last season. But they allowed 24 in the first half against New England, and 34 in the game.

Why were the Patriots so effect when others were not?

"What worked for us was not playing into their hands, and (challenging) what they're best at," New England receiver Brandon LaFell said Tuesday during Super Bowl media day. "We're not trying to run up the middle against those guys, because Suh is the best defensive tackle in the game."

That is the power of Ndamukong Suh.

He puts up huge numbers, but his value extends far beyond the box score. He is that rare kind of player who can single-handedly intimidate another team into altering its game plan.

But the question has never been whether Suh is valuable, but just how much that value is worth.

Suh's rookie contract voids next week, and he'll become one of the most-prized free agents in years if he hits the open market March 10. He's only 28 years old, already made three All-Pro teams in his five seasons and is regarded by many as the top defensive tackle in the game.

He could command a contract that approaches, if not surpasses, the $100 million deal that J.J. Watt signed with Houston in September.

Is Suh really worth that kind of money?

"Definitely," LaFell said. "Every penny of it."

LaFell isn't the only person to feel that way. There seems to be a consensus among coaches and players around the league that Suh is worth a nine-figure investment.

"You've got to be very careful about letting that kind of talent walk out the door," former Ravens coach Brian Billick said.

Billick said it would be "hard to fathom" Detroit franchising Suh at $26.9 million. But he says he would have no problem making Suh the game's highest-paid defensive player in a new long-term deal.

"On the field, I think he's the most dominant player in the game today," Billick said.

It's possible teams will try to use Suh's checkered history with the league to try to drive down his price. He's been fined nine times totaling $420,669, plus served a two-game suspension in 2011.

But former Lions coach Steve Mariucci said he would probably give him the $100 million anyway.

"Every time I've been around him, he's been a gentleman," Mariucci said. "He's been articulate. He's been a presence that you go, 'Gosh, this guy is one of the elite players in our league.' And you just want him to be dependable every week.

"I might consider (giving him $100 million). I might consider doing that -- I really would. To make that big decision, I would need to know him on a personal basis a little better. But I would tend to lean toward yeah."

Former Lions defensive end Cliff Avril once turned down a $30 million offer from Detroit. Now he says Suh is worth every dime of a $100 million deal.

"If he can get it, man," Avril said, "then he's worth it. And he's going to get it."