With Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs sporting a $13.02 million cap number for 2013 and with Ravens G.M. Ozzie Newsome saying the team won’t restructure contracts to stay in compliance with the salary cap, some in league circles are wondering whether the Ravens will simply sever ties with Suggs.
Doing so with a post-June 1 designation would create $6.4 million in cap space, as of June 1. If the Ravens cut him before June 1, his $6.4 million base salary would be offset by a $4.6 million bonus acceleration. The good news under that scenario is that Suggs would be off the books come 2014.
Still, the thought of dumping the 2011 NFL defensive player of the year seems like madness, at best. Though he was drafted 10 years ago, he’ll be 30 until October 11. But he missed much of the 2012 regular season with an Achilles tendon injury suffered while playing basketball in the offseason, and he had only two sacks in eight regular-season games.
In the postseason, Suggs had two sacks against the Broncos, but none in three other playoff appearances.
The real question is whether another linebacker would perform as well or better in the system for less money — and whether the money saved by dumping Suggs would help keep players like Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger.
The possibility of cutting Suggs remains very highly unlikely. But it’s definitely a subject of speculation in league circles, even if it doesn’t happen.