Last month somebody threw up a FanPost mentioning that Terrell Suggs was going to be talking with Ray Lewis and Bart Scott about putting together a hometown discount for the Baltimore Ravens. If that had worked out it would have been rather impressive. Of course, then Ray Lewis came out with this quote in the Baltimore Sun yesterday regarding a hometown discount:
"I dont play less," Lewis told the NFL Network in Hawaii, where he will play in the Pro Bowl. "If you don't play less, you don't take less. That's just life."
So much for the grand ideas of Terrell Suggs. Lewis has indicated he'd return to Baltimore but is intrigued by other situations. He's intrigued by the Jets, in part because his former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is running things there. He also indicated he's intrigued by the Cowboys and thinks he could bring leadership to a situation that requires "one general."
So this certainly opens things up a little more with Terrell Suggs. I'd imagine nobody could really be surprised a hometown discount didn't work out with at least one of the Ravens trio. The question becomes what happens next. Who will the Ravens franchise? On the one hand, Terrell Suggs has indicated some desire to come back, so maybe you franchise Lewis. Of course, then Lewis gets a a hefty one year pay day, and Suggs is stuck holding the bag.
Maybe they work this all out and there's nothing left for us to discuss. While that is certainly possible I wouldn't hold my breath in the high risk, high reward world of the NFL. There has been discussion of bringing a guy like Everette Brown in with the first round pick. As solid as he could be, a long term investment in a guy like Terrell Suggs would surely pay dividends for years to come.
However this plays out, it should make for a crazy opening couple of days (or maybe even just couple of hours) of free agency. I think most people are sufficiently intrigued by Suggs to want to make a run at him.