Terrell Suggs is a legend for the Baltimore Ravens and he has earned the right to retire as a Raven:
According to reports, Terrell Suggs isn’t going to retire this offseason. Suggs has been with the Baltimore Ravens since he was drafted in 2003 and is 36 years old. The Ravens may entertain the idea of moving on from their star outside linebacker, but it would be a mistake. It would’t just be wrong from an emotional standpoint, but also from a football standpoint.
Let’s tackle the emotional standpoint first. It still feels wrong to see Holati Ngata lining up for a different team. It will always feel nauseating that Ed Reed didn’t finish his career with the Ravens. Terrell Suggs belongs to a very elite group of Ravens players. His name goes right next to Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Jonathan Ogden. If it hurts your heart to see Haloti Ngata line up on the Eagles defensive line, it would be much worse if it was Suggs.
Football is a business, but the Ravens have no business saying goodbye to Suggs. He wants to be here, and he should be here. Suggs is still a very good player. Suggs has seven sacks this season and he had 11 last year. His performance isn’t slipping and he still provides value on the football field.
If and when the Ravens trade Joe Flacco they will create a good bit of cap space. The Ravens will likely move on from Eric Weddle. If they part with Jimmy Smith they won’t just have cap space, they’ll be swimming in it.
The Ravens will have the money to bring back Suggs. It’s not like there is a huge market for a 36 year old outside linebacker. Suggs will come back at a price that is fair to him and the organization, as long as the Ravens are willing to make it work.
The Ravens have some interesting decisions to make. They have to decide if they are going to invest in Za’Darius Smith, a player who plays in the same position grouping as Suggs. It’s hard to imagine Eric DeCosta would want to split this group of outside linebackers up. Suggs is the leader of the group. Smith and Matt Judon are play-makers. We’re even seeing growth from Tyus Bowser. Remember, the outside linebackers just put a beating on Phillip Rivers. Keeping Suggs is an investment in the entire group.
There is no doubt that Suggs is a legend for the Ravens. He is tied with Lawrence Taylor for the 14th most sacks in NFL history (132.5). Suggs only needs 5.5 sacks to crack the top 10. Suggs has earned the right to end his career on his terms, with the Ravens.