Could you imagine a Ravens team without Terrell Suggs?
Well, that's something the franchise's brass will have to decide on when they meet at Steve Bisciotti's home in Jupiter, Fla. this weekend.
Suggs is entering the final year of his contract and is set to carry a $12.4 million cap figure. It's one of the few contracts the Ravens could save a substantial amount of money by cutting or trading him (Suggs has a $7.8 million base salary in 2014), so that's something that for the front office to ponder with the offseason underway.
"Terrell is a real good football player, he not only shows up in the pass game but he shows up in the run game," Newsome said at Wednesday's State of the Ravens press conference. "With that being said, we let a good football player go last year [Paul Kruger]. We'll look at it and see what's best for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Ravens, and make that decision once we get to it."
Newsome appears to be playing a game of chess with the former 2011 Defensive Player of the Year. If Suggs doesn't want to come back at the organization's price via an extension, then the Ravens could part ways and move in a different direction.
It definitely sends a strong message to Suggs. Newsome also mentioned that he's been in frequent contact with Suggs this offseason, which does indicate both parties are working on an agreement.
But it would appear the Ravens have enough leverage to make Suggs consider a pay cut and extension. The Ravens let Ed Reed walk and traded Anquan Boldin a year ago. They've made it known in the past that they can walk away from a player, regardless of the reputation or clout he's built in previous seasons.
And that doesn't take into account Suggs' play on the field over the latter half of the 2013 season. After beginning the year with nine sacks in the first eight games, Suggs tallied just one sack in the final eight games, often looking out of sync on defense.
It would be weird to see Suggs in a different uniform than a Ravens one. But then again, that's a part of the business sometimes.