Terrell Suggs wants to be a Raven for life, and General Manager Ozzie Newsome has worked out a deal to make that happen.
Suggs signed a four-year contract extension with the Ravens Monday, which will keep him in Baltimore through the 2018 season. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately released.
The deal was announced during a press conference with Newsome at 12 p.m. Monday at the Under Armour Performance Center.
Getting Suggs signed to a new deal was one of the Ravens' top offseason priorities, as the 31-year-old outside linebacker was heading into the final year of his contract. Newsome indicated at the State of the Ravens press conference last month that getting Suggs signed to an extension was the path to keep him in Baltimore next season, rather than playing out his contract.
"I'm not afraid when it comes to letting guys walk out the door," Newsome said at the time when asked about Suggs. "What we'll do is we'll look at every aspect of it and see what's best for the 2014 and '15 and '16 Ravens and make that decision."
The contract benefits both sides, as it keeps Suggs in Baltimore and also gives the Ravens some much-needed salary cap flexibility. Suggs was previously slated to eat up $12.4 million of the salary cap, but his cap hit will now be significantly less in 2014.
The 12-year veteran has spent his entire career in Baltimore after the Ravens took him with the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2003. He has become one of the most productive players in team history.
Suggs has a franchise-record 94.5 sacks, and he has also registered 27 forced fumbles, seven interceptions, 45 passes defensed and 667 total tackles. He led the Ravens with 10 sacks last season.
Suggs' production trailed off near the end of last season, as he notched just one sack in the final eight games. But Suggs is more than just a pass rusher, and he ranked third on the team with 80 total tackles and was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl.
The longest-tenured Raven is one of the team's key defensive leaders.
"Terrell is a real good football player," Newsome said. "He not only shows up in the pass game, but he shows up in the run game."
Now that Suggs is locked up, the Ravens have the cap flexibility they want heading into free agency. Newsome wants to add a wide receiver, interior offensive linemen and an athletic free safety to his roster this offseason, and the Ravens could start to make that happen when free agency begins next month.
