Suggs Part II

**UKRaven** · 03-06-2008, 07:22 AM

A few weeks ago there was a very interesting Suggs thread. As per today's Sun he has now filed against the Ravens.

Seems he still considers he should get a 4-3 DE's salary. No wait! He should get the salary of the BEST 4-3 DE - 'cos he's that good!!!!

It seems every day we hear "I should get the same money as X 'cos I do just as good a job".

I say trade him - he's not that good, and if he's going to be trouble get rid quick !!!

**camdenyard** · 03-06-2008, 08:05 AM

I say if he put his hand in the dirt more than 50% of the time, he should get his money. That's the standard. The ravens need to suck it up and do the right thing.

If they can pay Billick $15 million for doing nothing, they can pay Suggs.

**Ravannapolis** · 03-06-2008, 08:13 AM

I say trade him - he's not that good, and if he's going to be trouble get rid quick !!!

Agreed. For the money he wants, I'm pretty sure we can do better. Of course, no one has ever accidentally called me Nostradamus.

**Rxdoxx** · 03-06-2008, 08:41 AM

Not sure how much of it is Suggs himself, and how much of it is his agent's doing.
Can't be pride in the top 5, 'cause franchise conveys that recognition regardless of DE or LB

I agree with the "he is not that good" stance.
Sure he drew the double team after Trevor went down, but not before that.
He is a pass rushing specialist whose effectiveness as a DE is not top 5, and we can maybe argue that he is really not a top 5 LB either.
As a tweener though we can call him a top 5 tweener

And he does deserve his payday. I think the lower number for a top 5 tweener is the fairer number (Reggie White he ain't).

**festivus** · 03-06-2008, 08:44 AM

It's just business. Wake me up when something happens.

**HoustonRaven** · 03-06-2008, 08:49 AM

Agreed with Festivus ....

While he's not making new friends with this latest tactic, its is simply just a tactic in the end.

If he keeps it up come draft time, trade is ungreatful arse.

**crazyraven** · 03-06-2008, 09:10 AM

I say if he put his hand in the dirt more than 50% of the time, he should get his money. That's the standard.

I have to agree with this 100%
What bothers me is how the ravens look. It really makes the ravens to appear very petty to short change him then ask him to go sack the qb. if you dont want to pay him let him go but stop the games already.
Come on SB and Oz give this guy his money and lets stop the BS.

**meangene55** · 03-06-2008, 09:31 AM

If Sizzles like Arizona so much they should have sent him there when they had the chance.

Tsizzle for Larry Fitzgerald.

**Rayvens52** · 03-06-2008, 09:35 AM

This is all over about $500k. Personally i don't think it is much of a story as ozzie has already said they plan on giving him a long term contract before the season. I think the sun is just begging for a story like always

**psuasskicker** · 03-06-2008, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by UKRaven

I say trade him - he's not that good

Thanks dude...I've had a pretty stressful day so far, I needed that.

- C -

**UKRaven** · 03-06-2008, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by psuasskicker

Thanks dude...I've had a pretty stressful day so far, I needed that.

- C -

Let me re-phrase that then:

For the money he is (quoted as) asking for we could get a better DE, or a better 3-4 OLB. As a 'tweener' he does not justify a stellar 'Freeney' salary.

I think he should be well paid if he wants to stay, but if he wants to break our bank I'd pass on him. We have to stand firm somewhere, otherwise we will win jack s&*t for years to come!

**jonboy79** · 03-06-2008, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by UKRaven

A few weeks ago there was a very interesting Suggs thread. As per today's Sun he has now filed against the Ravens.

Seems he still considers he should get a 4-3 DE's salary. No wait! He should get the salary of the BEST 4-3 DE - 'cos he's that good!!!!

It seems every day we hear "I should get the same money as X 'cos I do just as good a job".

I say trade him - he's not that good, and if he's going to be trouble get rid quick !!!

I say sign him for less then $25m guaranteed and $10m per year average, or trade him come draft day. If he really has to be the highest paid pass rusher, I'm fine with signing such a young guy to an 8 year $80m with $25m guaranteed as the absolute max high end deal. It is still inferior to Freeney's annual average and guarantee, btu the length increases the overal value enough to trump it there. Victory for all. In 5 years it could easily look like a bargain. There is little risk of failure, he is young and is at worst a Plus player at OLB in a 3/4. At best he is a probowler at 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB.

But Seriously? Sign him Long term or trade him during the draft...

**Dade** · 03-06-2008, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

It's just business. Wake me up when something happens.

**psuasskicker** · 03-06-2008, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by UKRaven

Let me re-phrase that then:

For the money he is (quoted as) asking for we could get a better DE, or a better 3-4 OLB. As a 'tweener' he does not justify a stellar 'Freeney' salary.

I think he should be well paid if he wants to stay, but if he wants to break our bank I'd pass on him. We have to stand firm somewhere, otherwise we will win jack s&*t for years to come!

I'm not really sure why you think that other than that he had one down year in sacks last season, which wasn't actually a bad year overall and where we had injuries across the board that hurt this defense. He's an elite pass rusher, top four with Freeny, Peppers, and Osi Whosyomama, and he's only 25 years old so he's entering his prime.

He's certainly not going to break our bank for Freeny-type money with a $116MM cap this season and what will probably be 5% - 8% increases annually. By the time he's in the 5th or 6th year of his deal the cap would likely be $150MM or more. Keep in mind the Colts gave Freeny his money PLUS Manning getting his giant contract. They're not exactly cap strapped right now, and by the time those contracts seriously start escalating the cap will be big enough that it's not a big problem. Plus, who knows if by then there's even still a cap.

I don't care if it takes $25 - $30 mil guar and $80 - $90 mil for 8 years. Look at the rest of the market. Freakin' Justin Smith, who's probably not even a top 20 pass rusher, just got $7.5MM a year with $20MM guar. Who can we get that's better than Suggs for the money he's asking? There's no one better than Suggs on the market (few better period), and his asking price is at market.

Get it done.

- C -

**HoustonRaven** · 03-06-2008, 06:58 PM

I just read a few other articles, including one in AZ .....

Go to hell, Terrell. Heap restructured for your ungrateful ass and if you wanna play this kind of game then dont let the door hit you in the ass.

You went on every media outlet under the sun, wearing red, a yankees hat, anythig other then your Baltimore colors yet we're supposed to believe that you "want to stay in Baltimore" after this nonsense?

Good riddance!

**otherside_of_tracks** · 03-06-2008, 08:27 PM

Suggs is a great player and i'd hate to see him go. But it doesn't look like he wants to be here as much as he'd said. I'd really wish that he'd stay in baltimore. but if we have to trade him i hope it's not a deal like Randy Moss for a 4th round pick.

**purplepoe** · 03-06-2008, 08:38 PM

I'm sorry, but people are making way too much of this.

PP

**UKRaven** · 03-07-2008, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by purplepoe

I'm sorry, but people are making way too much of this.

PP

Perhaps we are - but to some it's a pricipal point! Heap restructured to make room and he comes back with 'I want more'. Plus the greivance will have to be heard - which takes up more of our management's time. We should not let one guy ruin our pre-season. Other good players are slipping by whilst his agent 'can not get a deal done'

The more important point is that we need to build a 'team' if we want to win again. The Defence already takes up most of our salary cap - and has holes in it all over. Do we need to go anywhere with the problems on Offence

!!!

The creation of a winning Ravens team can NOT be done with a cap buster Suggs deal at the moment.

Do we fill our holes or Sugg's agents pockets ?

**HoustonRaven** · 03-07-2008, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by UKRaven

Perhaps we are - but to some it's a pricipal point! Heap restructured to make room and he comes back with 'I want more'. Plus the greivance will have to be heard - which takes up more of our management's time.

Spot on. Normally, I would be in PP's camp and not worry about a negotiation. Now that he has filed a grievance, this situation has no turned from a simple ploy into turning a buck to a legit off-season problem

Originally Posted by UKRaven

Do we fill our holes or Sugg's agents pockets ?

Agreed. No player is worth extended aggravation.

**highwater** · 03-07-2008, 10:32 AM

Putting aside for a moment the issues of what Suggs is reportedly asking for and whether or not he's worth it, this grievance seems to be an unnecessary annoyance. And the Ravens share in making it unnecessary, because if Suggs really has played more downs at DE than at OLB, then they should have just franchised him at DE and not made this an issue. If they really think they'll sign him to a long term deal and make this all a moot point, then it makes it odd to me that they would try to short-change him.

And all over what, about $800K? That's a hell of lot to me, but Suggs could probably spend it in a weekend in Vegas.