Silver Minings: Ndamukong Suh headed to Las Vegas?

For years, Ndamukong Suh has flirted with the idea of joining the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. However, every time he’s been a free agent — in 2015, 2018 and 2019 — it seems like the two parties are stuck in the friend zone as he’s opted to sign elsewhere.

As they say, ‘time is a flat circle’, and here we are once again. Suh is still available on the open market and the Raiders could use a veteran defensive tackle, especially one who won a Super Bowl just two seasons ago.

The former Buccaneer was on ESPN’s NFL Live on Monday and said that his time in Tampa Bay is likely over. That statement alone should spark some interest coming from the desert, but Mina Kimes, one of the show’s hosts, turned that spark into a full-blown fire when she brought up the idea of Suh finally putting on the silver and black.

“How about the Raiders?” Kimes asked Suh before going on to give a list of reasons which included the team’s cap space and playing alongside Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.

“I like it,” Suh responded with a big smile on his face. “Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby, I was exchanging messages with them the other day. It’s an interesting opportunity for sure. We’ll see where it ends up...That [AFC] West is very, very tough, which would be fun. You get out of that and you’re almost destined to get to the Super Bowl.”

A couple of things stand out about Suh’s response. For one, he’s already been in contact with Crosby and Jones so there has to be at least some mutual interest from the respective parties. It’s just a matter of if the right people, i.e. Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, are intrigued by the idea of adding a 35-year-old five-time All-Pro to the defensive line.

Secondly, Suh brought up the possibility of the Raiders playing for a championship if they can make it out of their division. At this point in his career, he’s likely looking to add to his trophy case/legacy, and bringing in a couple of superstars in Jones and Davante Adams this offseason seems to have caught his eye.

UPDATE: Tuesday morning, Suh tweeted this to continue the Raiders’ hype:

It’s also worth noting, and Kimes brought this up in her pitch, that Nevada doesn’t have a state income tax for individuals. Using the state’s tax advantages to lure free agents was part of the reason why Mark Davis moved the team, and Suh is very financially literate so this is undoubtedly on his mind.

Could the Raiders have a roster and financial situation that finally woos the 12-year veteran? And does the team’s brass want to bring him aboard?

Only time will tell but this certainly gives us something to mull over as the team is still over a month away from training camp.

UPDATE: Per Tyler Dragon of USA Today, the Raiders and Suh have engaged in talks with Suh, so it sounds like McDaniels and Ziegler are interested in bringing him aboard.

In other Raiders links:

• Brandon Staley still not over Week 18 loss: “I haven’t poured myself into anything, other than my marriage, [more] than [last season]. So you can imagine how I felt. I’ve been working every day since to make sure that it’s different,” said the Chargers’ head coach, per Dylan Hernandez.
• Trade needed for Clelin Ferrell?: Bleacher Report’s Kevin Knox lists the 2019 No. 4 overall pick as a player who “needs to be traded to break out in 2022.”
• Early draft look: Georgia’s Jalen Carter is set to become one of the top defensive tackles in this year’s class.
• CBS ranks Adams NFL’s best wide receiver: “He’s the total package, averaging over 90 yards per game in three of his last four seasons,” via Cody Benjamin.