Ravens re-sign Suggs and try to change Mason’s mind

By Sprung On Sports  |   Wednesday, July 15, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

Baltimore Ravens
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After losing Bart Scott and their Defensive Coordinator, Rex Ryan, to the Jets during the offseason, the Baltimore Ravens were not going to let Terrell Suggs leave the team after the season.

Baltimore had a 4pm EDT Wednesday deadline to lock up the 6'3, 260 pound LB or his franchise tag would kick in and make him a free agent after the season. But the Ravens locked Suggs up with a six year deal worth $63 million and $38 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid LB in league history. Suggs had eight sacks, 68 tackles, two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions in 2008.

"I am glad it is over. Now we can get back to football," Suggs said. "I'm looking forward to showing them that they didn't make a mistake and they got the right guy,"

"His agent did a good job getting most of the money in the first two years." said Jason Brand, NFL Analyst and a co-host on the weekly SprungOnSports Radio Show in New York.

"Securing Terrell for six seasons gives us a premier pass-rusher whose ability to stop the run does not get enough credit." said GM Ozzie Newsome.

Playing his entire career in the shadow of such Ravens standouts like Ray Lewis and the aforementioned Scott, Suggs is finally getting his credit and his due as he begins the prime of his career in a Ravens uniform. And despite playing six years in the league, he's still only 26, and as Newsome went on to say in their press conference, his best years could still be ahead of him.

One player whose best years are evidently behind him is WR Derrick Mason, who surprisingly retired after 12 standout seasons with the Ravens and, most notably, the Tennessee Titans, where he was the main target of the late Steve McNair, whose tragic and untimely death was likely the determining factor in his premature exit from the game.

But that hasn't stopped the Ravens from trying to change Mason's mind, whose absence would leave a gaping hole in Baltimore's receiving corps, taking away young Joe Flacco's only reliable target from last year. Mark Clayton is their only viable target now, and the team would have to look to free agents such as Marvin Harrison and Amani Toomer to fill the void.

So while it's logical for coach John Harbaugh to reach out to Mason in a desperate time, it would also be the right thing to give Mason some time away from the game to collect himself during a period of time which must be very difficult for him. Harbaugh is definitely doing the wrong thing in trying to reach out to Mason this early in the mourning period.

"Emotionally, I believe that the death of a close friend and teammate in Steve Mcnair gave Derrick Mason some perspective on life." said Aron Jacobowitz, a longtime Titans fan and a SprungOnSports analyst who works for Sporting News Radio in Los Angeles. "I feel as if he knows how important family life is at this point in his career and decided to call it quits. I believe that Mason has found himself in these last few weeks in losing a very close friend."

Mason had over 10,000 yards receiving in his illustrious career as well as over 2,500 yards returning and reached a Super Bowl with Tennessee before falling just a yard short in their loss to the St. Louis Rams.

So while Baltimore did a very wise thing in hanging on to Terrell Suggs, they're definitely hanging on way too long to Derrick Mason, even if he was their only good receiving option.
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