The Baltimore Ravens placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, giving the 25-year-old a one-year deal worth $8 million, team General Manager Ozzie Newsome said today.
Suggs? deal gives him the average salary of the five highest paid linebackers in the NFL. The franchise designation also allows the Ravens to continue negotiations with Suggs, and if another team signs an offer sheet with him, Baltimore can match that, or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
Suggs has played five seasons for the Ravens after being selected with the 10th pick overall in the 2003 draft out of Arizona State. He is third on the Ravens career sacks list (45) and has the sixth most in the NFL since the start of his rookie season.
