Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Lions GM Martin Mayhew on what happened with Ndamukong Suh

Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona he would have done things differently with Ndamukong Suh in free agency.

The Lions eventually offered a six-year contract worth $102 million -- about $12 million less than the offer made by the Miami Dolphins to the defensive tackle who became the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Suh had been the cornerstone of the Detroit defense over the past five seasons after being selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft. Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand had both expressed optimism throughout the entire negotiating process with Suh that they would come to a long-term deal, but were never able to come to terms on a contract.

The Lions tabled contract talks once training camp began in 2014 and then eventually resumed negotiating with the former Detroit star.

Soon after it was known Suh would be leaving Detroit, Mayhew told reporters he reached out to Baltimore about defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and told reporters in Arizona the deal was done in a few hours prior to the start of the new league year opened on March 10.

Suh's and Nick Fairley's departures during free agency leaves the franchise with no selections from their 2010 and 2011 drafts -- including notable misses Titus Young (2011, second round) and Mikel Leshoure (2011, second round).

To replace Suh and Fairley, the Lions traded fourth and fifth round picks to the Ravens for Ngata and signed Tyrunn Walker from New Orleans.

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