ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand said today, just before the opening of training camp, that the team has tabled contract talks with Ndamukong Suh's agent until after the season.

Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew remain optimistic that a deal will get done.

Suh is under contract through 2014. The two sides have been negotiating since the spring on a new deal. Mayhew said it was the team's decision to table the talks.

"We've had a lot of conversations over the offseason,'' Lewand said. "Every one of the contract negotiations is different. In light of where we are and most importantly in light of getting ready for the season and keeping the focus where it should be, we've decided to table the discussions with Ndamukong on any further discussions until after the season.

"I think it's the right thing for us to do, its the right thing for the team, it's the right thing for everybody involved,'' Lewand said. "It allows us to keep the focus where it belongs.

"I remain tremendously confident and Jim (Caldwell) said it (Sunday) in his press conference we have a high degree of confidence that we can work out something that will be mutually satisfactory at the right time and the goal hasn't changed in the least but  the timinig is such we think the focus needs to be on the field starting today,'' Lewand said.

Mayhew echoes Lewand.

"We have the formula for getting a guy signed, we have a player who wants to be here, we have a team that wants to (sign) the player,'' Mayhew said. "Those are the two most important things.''

Mayhew said Suh has told him he wants to remain with the Lions.

"It's been a complicated process. At the (February) Combine I thought it would be done around the start of free agency, possibly. After the draft I thought probably by now and now I think probably next year,'' Mayhew said.

"When you're talking about good players it takes a long time to get them done frequently. They're more complicated contracts,'' Mayhew said.

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