Suggs

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs sat out his second straight practice with a neck injury yesterday, but Ravens coach Brian Billick said the first-round draft pick likely will play in tomorrow night's preseason game in Atlanta. Suggs was injured earlier in the week from a hit in a goal-line drill and missed Wednesday's workout when he felt a sharp pain in his neck. After being medically cleared, the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft didn't participate in team drills because of lingering soreness.

Ravens linebacker Cornell Brown won an uphill battle to become a starter at the beginning of last season. Chances are, Brown will have to pull off that feat one more time. Brown, who missed much of training camp before signing with the Ravens, unseated Shannon Taylor two games into the season and started every game thereafter. He thought he might have a permanent home as one of the starting outside linebackers in the Ravens' 3-4 scheme after signing a four-year deal less than two months ago, but the Ravens drafted Terrell Suggs with their 10th overall pick and have already penciled him in as co-starter.

Terrell Suggs was told by the NFL that any further comments or on-field activity indicating his participation in bounty activity could result in "significant disciplinary action," a league spokesman said. The Ravens' linebacker-defensive end was notified yesterday in a letter from Ray Anderson, the NFL executive vice president of football operations. The trouble for Suggs started two weeks ago on an Atlanta sports radio talk show when he was asked whether there was a bounty on Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall (who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Ravens)

The Ravens and Terrell Suggs avoided a grievance by essentially creating a new position, Suggs' agent confirmed last night. The sides reached an agreement on a one-year franchise tag tender worth close to $8.5 million, which will pay him as a hybrid defensive end-linebacker. It is believed that the NFL Players Association and the NFL management council are finalizing details to sign off on the compromise. "His job is to rush the quarterback as a defensive end, and I thought it was unfair that he had to live under the linebacker franchise tag," said Gary Wichard, Suggs' agent.

Terrell Suggs barely made a cameo in the Kyle Boller Show last night. In the Ravens' preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Boller drew oohs and aahs from the crowd of 68,550 at M&T Bank Stadium, and linebacker Suggs received a cheer for one nice tackle and nothing else. Given ample opportunities to rush the passer, the sack specialist and 10th overall pick in this year's NFL draft was a non-factor. "I gave myself a C. It's not that good, but it's not terrible, either," said Suggs, who did not start but played in all four quarters last night.

The Ravens aren't going to let linebacker Terrell Suggs hit the open market when free agency begins at the end of the month. "We will be using the franchise tag on Terrell if we don't have a long-term deal in place between now and then," general manager Ozzie Newsome said yesterday. Despite having a career-low five sacks last season, Suggs would be one of the most sought-after free agents this year. By using the tag on Suggs, the Ravens would give him a one-year contract worth $8.065 million, the average of the five highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. If another team makes an offer to Suggs (which is unlikely to happen)

As today's deadline approaches, linebacker Terrell Suggs remains optimistic that a long-term deal can be reached with the Ravens. "Like I said before, it's just some minor things that both sides can compromise on and get an agreement," Suggs told The Baltimore Sun Tuesday. "I'm not stressing out over this because I've always thought there are only two things that can happen: We either get a deal done or we don't." The NFL deadline for teams to sign their franchise players to multiyear deals is 4 p.m. today.

In signing Terrell Suggs to one of the most lucrative contracts - six years, $63 million - in NFL history Wednesday, the Ravens contend that it is more of an investment in the future than a reward for his first six seasons with the team. His $33 million in bonus money tops that of all defensive players and ranks him behind only Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who received $34 million in bonuses. Suggs' $38 million in guaranteed money exceeds the totals for Jared Allen ($31 million)

Defensive end Terrell Suggs and safety Ed Reed were fined $15,000 each by the NFL for making "impermissible contact" with game officials in Sunday's 35-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, the league announced yesterday. Suggs apologized to his teammates for his actions, but Reed expressed no remorse. But the Ravens' Pro Bowl defenders agreed their anger was triggered by the officiating. "It was like, `When is it enough?' " Suggs said. "We can't let them just keep nut and bolting us. We were straight up getting screwed."

Mike Nolan is not one for tipping his hand, so for the Ravens' defensive coordinator to offer the following information regarding his plan for linebacker Terrell Suggs qualifies as a surprise. "Maybe," said Nolan of a possible increase in playing time for Suggs on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, "This week is the week. At some point, you'll see him in the base [package]." Through the first four games, Suggs has been used as a situational pass-rushing end. In his limited role, he leads the team with four sacks and also recorded a key interception in the Week 3 win over the San Diego Chargers while playing about 35 percent of the snaps.