Rats tag Suggs

[stlrz d]

[url="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-ravens0218,0,5265924.story"]http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/foot ... 5924.story[/url]

Ravens place franchise tag on Suggs
Linebacker-defensive end will be paid $10.2 million in 2009

By Jamison Hensley | [email="jamison.hensley@baltsun.com"]jamison.hensley@baltsun.com[/email]
6:03 PM EST, February 18, 2009

As expected, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Terrell Suggs today, keeping the Pro Bowl linebacker-defensive end for another season while trying to work out a long-term deal.

Suggs, 26, will be tendered a one-year, $10.2 million contract for the 2009 season, which is 120 percent of his franchise tag from last season. It's the second straight season the Ravens have used the tag on Suggs.

"Our plan is to sign 'Sizzle' to a long-term contract," general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. "We believe our history of keeping our best players for a long time speaks for itself."

The team could have used the tag on middle linebacker Ray Lewis and center Jason Brown, but decided that having a young, three-time Pro Bowl player to build around was the best option.

Suggs told an Arizona radio station last week that he did not want to be tagged for a second straight season, and that he preferred a long-term deal.

[Jom112]

Re: Rats tag Suggs

Sign the man to a long term deal already...

[Iron Shiek]

Re: Rats tag Suggs

Good for him...and any other superstar players. Run to the office and sign the dam thing ASAP. You are getting a boatload of money for 1 year. Pray you don't get hurt, put up your usual big numbers, then go on the open market next year. If you recall, the NFL is headed for an uncapped year...these mega stars are going to get $$ thrown at them in droves by the teams with deep pockets. Granted winning SHOULD be all that its about, but that's not what most of these guys will be looking at when the huge contract is in front of them.

[Jom112]

Re: Rats tag Suggs

Good for him...and any other superstar players. Run to the office and sign the dam thing ASAP. You are getting a boatload of money for 1 year. Pray you don't get hurt, put up your usual big numbers, then go on the open market next year. If you recall, the NFL is headed for an uncapped year...these mega stars are going to get $$ thrown at them in droves by the teams with deep pockets. Granted winning SHOULD be all that its about, but that's not what most of these guys will be looking at when the huge contract is in front of them.

I'm not a salary cap expert by no means, but I have read reports that teams are going to be more hesitant to sign long term deals heading into the uncapped year.

I believe (And I could be completely way off base) it's because there are provisions that if the CBA isn't extended in 2010 that all bonus money has to be accounted for after the 2011 season.

So say Suggs signs a 6 year deal next offseason with $30 Mil guaranteed. Instead of that $30 Mil being prorated over 5 years (Since the max is down to 5 from 6 because of the uncapped year already), if the CBA isn't extended after the 2010 season, then that whole $30 Mil will have to be paid out before the 2012 season. Essentially two seasons. So Suggs's cap hit for the 2012 season could be astronomical.

I could be wrong but that's how I interpreted it. So some teams are going to be gun shy about signing players long term. It's highly unlikely that it will take the CBA that long to be extended but provisions are out there for that situation.

I know for certain the max years that a bonus can be prorated is reduced from 6 years to 5 years if we hit the uncapped year, the other stuff I'm not as certain about...