The Baltimore Ravens over the course of their history have never turned away from an avenue to add to their roster. They are more willing than most to pull off in-season trades as when they picked up CB Marcus Peters, for example. In other words, they’re always looking for players who can make them better.
And according to the man himself, one player they seem to think could make them better is former five-time All-Pro DL Ndamukong Suh, who has remained unsigned since the end of last season. Now 36 years old and with 13 NFL seasons under his belt, his superstar days are gone, but he can be a role player.
“Some breaking news, last week it was the Ravens that spoke to me”, Suh said during an appearance on Sky Sports on Sunday. “They seemed to be interested”.
It was around this time a year ago when he actually signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, who of course went on to compete in the Super Bowl. But Suh was not a big contributor at that time, playing just 176 snaps over eight games. He had 10 tackles and one sack on the season.
One wonders if he is looking for an opportunity that might be able to offer him slightly more than that. The Eagles are always known for their defensive line depth. He was competing for snaps with Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox.
“It’s got to be a team that’s in the mix, and you want to play with great athletes”, he said of his own demands for his next team. “Really, it’s just where’s the right fit, where’s the opportunity. Where can I actually go and add value? I don’t just want to sit there and watch other guys be successful”.
Could that have been a sort of reference to the Eagles, for whom he only played about 35 percent of the snaps in the games in which he played? He did say other teams were interested a year ago, including the San Francisco 49ers.
Where would he fit in with the Ravens? Well, he would not be a starter, that spot belonging to Michael Pierce at defensive tackle. They do only have five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, with second-year man Travis Jones backing up Pierce and playing about as much as Suh did a year ago for the Eagles.
While he would not start over Broderick Washington or Justin Madubuike, or at least I don’t suspect, he could see playing time over Brent Urban and Jones. Urban has only played 84 snaps so far this season despite being healthy.
As for the Ravens in general, they’re in a good place. At 5-2, they are at the top of the AFC North standings over the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns (and the Cincinnati Bengals). They have been getting things done by committee up front this year, so are reliant upon depth. I will say it would not surprise me if he were to sign with the Ravens. It sounds exactly like something they would do. He earned under $2 million last year, so he wouldn’t break the bank.
