INDIANAPOLIS — Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew knew questions about Ndamukong Suh were coming during his podium interview at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, so before asked, he provided some details on where negotiations stand with the All-Pro defensive tackle.

“I have an update on that. It’s not done,” Mayhew said. “We’re still working on it, still very optimistic that we’ll be able to get it done.

“I think we have a lot of the essential elements that we need to get it done in that he’s got a scheme that he likes playing in, he’s got a passion for the game as you guys know. We have a defense that plays with that kind of passion. He’s got a head coach he likes playing for. He’s got teammates he likes playing with.

“So we have a lot of things that he’s looking for here in Detroit, and obviously we have a desire to get him signed.”

The Lions’ desire, though, never was in question. For the past year, Mayhew expressed confidence the team could re-sign its defensive superstar to a long-term deal, but with free agency less than a month away, there is no extension.

On Feb. 1, Lions president Tom Lewand said on WDIV-TV that he was “very, very confident” the team and Suh could reach an agreement within a few weeks. Mayhew declined to put a timetable on negotiations Wednesday, but he said he remains optimistic based on his conversations with Suh.

“We have everything that he’s looking for,” Mayhew said.

The No. 2 overall pick in 2010 draft and a three-time All-Pro, Suh is set to become a free agent on March 10 unless the Lions sign him to a deal first or use the franchise tag before March 2. The tag would cost $26.9 million, but Mayhew said it remains an option.

“We’re prepared for what it takes financially to get him signed,” Mayhew said. “In terms of the franchise tag, we’re still talking about it. We have not made a final determination about whether to use that or not.”

With the salary cap reportedly set to increase to about $142 million, the Lions only have about $15 million in cap room, so they would have to free space by cutting players and/or restructuring contracts to pay Suh’s tag.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Mayhew’s 11-minute interview session was his honest assessment of how important the Suh negotiations are to the Lions’ other goals this offseason.

“From our standpoint, it’s important to get something done before free agency if we can,” Mayhew said. “We’ll keep working toward getting something done with the understanding that once we do that and make that financial commitment, things kind of fall into place from there.”

The Lions faced a similar problem last offseason when Suh had a salary-cap figure of $22.4 million. The team hoped to sign Suh to an extension that would have freed cap space for free agents, but it never happened.

Now, the Lions’ offseason plans are largely on hold until they know how much they must commit to Suh. Among the decisions the Lions need to make is whether they re-sign fellow defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

“A lot of it revolves around Suh,” Mayhew said. “I can see a scenario, however, where we have Suh and Nick back, but I can also see a scenario where we have neither one of them.”