ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Ndamukong Suh started his spring workouts with the Detroit Lions without a new contract and he’ll end them the same way – in the final year of his rookie deal.

The Lions’ defensive tackle, who is making $22.4 million against the salary cap for 2014, remains unsigned past the end of this season and there has been little indication that a deal is imminent.

Both he and Detroit’s management have said over the past few months they would like to broker a deal to keep Suh with the Lions for a while, but it has yet to materialize. Suh declined to talk with reporters throughout the three-day mandatory minicamp.

When Detroit coach Jim Caldwell was asked about ending spring workouts without a new deal for Suh – or having rookie tight end Eric Ebron under contract – he didn’t seem too bothered by it.

“I think the way in which this game is, every year is going to be a little bit different,” Caldwell said. “You’re not the first guy that’s gone through a contract negotiation and it won’t be the last. I think those things, Martin [Mayhew] and Tom [Lewand] and those guys and ownership will do a tremendous job.

“What I have to do is stay focused on what’s happening out there on the field and get our guys ready to play.”

Ebron’s contract is not a huge deal right now. There have been no indications he is trying to hold out, but rather the team doesn’t have the salary-cap space available right now to get a contract worked out. In order to do so, the team will either have to ink Suh to an extension to knock down his salary-cap number or file some contract restructures on players with long-term, big-money deals like receiver Calvin Johnson.

Until that happens, Detroit can’t sign Ebron. And as for Suh, the Lions are now in a wait-and-negotiate mode until there is some movement on whether or not he ends up staying in Detroit.