Unhappy Suh plans to appeal $20K NFL fine for hit on Dalton

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh acknowledged Wednesday that he's clearly "not happy" with the $20,000 fine the NFL slapped on him for his hit on Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton in last week's preseason opener.

Suh plans to appeal the punishment -- "Who wouldn't?" he asked rhetorically -- and said this incident won't impact the way he plays football.

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"I'm not going to stop playing hard," Suh said. "I owe it to my fans and to my teammates and coaches. ... There's a reason why football is football."

Suh was fined twice last year for hits on Chicago's Jay Cutler during the regular season and Cleveland's Jake Delhomme in a preseason game.

Suh's checking account can absorb the latest hit. His five-year contract is worth $40 million guaranteed and as much as $68 million, though the NFL has increased the fine each time.

"Twenty grand? For the preseason? They're trying to send a message," Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson told The Associated Press.

Suh was fined $7,500 for what he did to Delhomme, grabbing his face mask, twisting it and slamming him to the ground. He was docked $15,000 for shoving Cutler hard and high in the back from behind during a game last December.

Detroit's second preseason game is Friday at Cleveland. Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas said he and his teammates are mindful of what Suh can do.

"Everybody sees it, and it's the back of your head, but it's not really something you worry about," Thomas told The AP. "Most of our focus and attention is between the whistles, and it seems he's getting a name for himself for what happens after the whistle."

Suh compared his situation to what recently retired NBA star Shaquille O'Neal went through early in his career, enduring lots of foul trouble for being much bigger and stronger than opponents but ultimately persevering.

Earlier on Wednesday, Suh let be known just how angry he was in a post on Twitter.

"$20,000REALLY???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #NFL #BIGFAIL," he wrote.

But the Lions rallied around Suh and came to his defense.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has taken his share of tough hits and suffered more than his share of injuries, said he believes Suh's play is misunderstood.

"He's kind of gotten a bad rap early on here," Stafford said after a spirited practice. "He plays hard, and he plays all the way to the whistle, but he doesn't hit guys late.

"He doesn't hit in the helmet. He always plays hard, and that's the way you're supposed to play football. I'm glad I don't have to go against him. But he's just playing up to the whistle."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz declined to directly comment on the fine, but he was asked about whether or not Suh's unprecedented size and speed lead to his hits perhaps appearing more violent than they are intended to be.

"It does look different when he does it," Schwartz said, "but it is what it is. The league puts it on the defensive player to know when the ball is gone."

Schwartz noted there is a "fine line" between curbing a player's intensity and style of play and going too far in the other direction.

One Lions official said the organization isn't inclined to address the infractions with Suh and isn't overly concerned. The Lions realize what a smart player Suh is, as well as his overall intellect. They believe Suh will figure out "where the line is" for himself.

Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said he had a 40-minute chat with Suh on Wednesday, and it was as enjoyable as any in his 30-year coaching career. Cunningham was adamant that Suh's ability and prowess make him impossible to block and works against him in instances like this.

"No one has ever played like this at defensive tackle," Cunningham said.

"There is no malicious intent on anything," he added.

Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @JasonLaCanfora

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mathis nixes holdout report, has no plans of being a 'cancer'

Veteran defensive end Robert Mathis downplayed a report Sunday suggesting that he won't play for the Indianapolis Colts under his existing contract.

Sports XChange stated that Mathis "has no intention of reporting" to the team until his contract situation is addressed. A source close to the eight-year veteran said: "He'll never play another snap there under that (existing) contract."

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Mathis took to Twitter on Sunday in response, saying he's "overpaid already" and adding that teammate Dwight Freeney "takes all the blockers."

"I have every intention (of) doing my job once the NFL gives us our job back," Mathis tweeted. "I never been a locker room cancer & wont start now."

Wrote Mathis: "im no dummy in #Business101 so why stir the pot knowing there's minimal interest in re-signing me rite now despite how I feel ... i take pride in being a leader. ... There's a time & place for all things and contract will take care of itself in route 2SuperBowl"

Mathis has netted $27 million of the five-year, $30 million extension that he signed in 2006, according to Sports XChange. Mathis is set to make $2.41 million in 2011 after racking up 11 sacks and 60 tackles last season.

Mathis has been a mainstay for the Colts since joining the team in 2003, pairing with Freeney to form one of the NFL's most imposing defensive duos. Mathis has 74 career sacks, with 32 over the past three seasons, making the Pro Bowl each time. Freeney has 34 sacks over that span.

The Colts selected Mathis in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Alabama A&M.

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Bengals players putting together plans for full-squad workouts

Cincinnati Bengals players have gathered for specific position workouts this offseason. Now, two players plan to bring the whole team together.

The workouts are being organized by offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and defensive tackle Domata Peko, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday. The plan is to hold the workouts in the Cincinnati area over four days, mimicking an organized team activity.

"A lot of the players will be there, including the draft picks," Whitworth said. "We're just getting a final schedule together right now."

Quarterback Andy Dalton, a second-round draft pick, will stay with Whitworth during the workouts, according to The Enquirer. Last month, Dalton attended Whitworth's golf tournament, which raised $150,000 for the lineman's charitable foundation.

The Bengals are the latest NFL team to announce plans for a full-squad workout. The Patriots were the most recent team to do it, reportedly gathering more than 40 players for a workout at Boston College.

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Williams hopes he figures in Bucs' plans next season

Running back Cadillac Williams will be free to sign with any team he wishes once the lockout ends, but if the seventh-year veteran has his way he'll be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Tampa is a very special place for me," Williams said via The Tampa Tribune on Tuesday. "This is the team that drafted me. It's a team that has been through the good times and bad times with me. At the lowest point of my career, the organization was definitely behind me.

"The fan base in and out the community, dealing with different people, it's a very special place to me. I've grown accustomed to the area and living here. Tampa is a great city, great place and most of all, a really great place to play. It's definitely a place I would love to play and finish out my career, but only time will tell."

A first-round draft pick in 2005, Williams overcame severe knee injuries in 2007 and 2008 to play in all 16 games in 2009. He has rushed for 3,677 yards and 20 touchdowns during his career.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris has made it clear he would like Williams, 29, and fellow free agent Barrett Ruud back.

"First of all, you mentioned two guys with great character," Morris said. "Two leaders in our community and two guys that gave us great service throughout their time and hopefully it can continue.

"We'll get a chance to sit down when all the collective bargaining agreement stuff is solved. We'll get a chance to find out if we can have both of those guys back on our football team, the two guys that we know we'll have in free agency right now. We'll just have to wait and see."

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