Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti Wants Ray Lewis to Take a Hometown Discount

I've been trying to figure out how the Baltimore Ravens, a team that is usually run with a great deal of efficiency, could allow themselves to be in a position where three of their most important players on defense are all eligible for free agency in the same offseason. As it stands, linebackers Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott will all be available to the highest-bidder in late February, assuming, of course, the Ravens don't find a way to keep them.

They won't be able to keep all three, and assuming they use their franchise tag, they might be able to keep two for at least one more season. There's also the possibility that somebody could take one for the team and sign a deal for less than market value.

Mike Florio over at Pro Football Talk passes along the information (via Aaron Wilson) that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti would love to keep Lewis, a 13-year veteran of the Ravens, and is hoping the face of the franchise would be willing to take a hometown discount.

Call me cynical, but I'm going to file this under "F" in my file cabinet for fat chance. It's already been suggested that Lewis is on the radar of Jerry Jones and his checkbook full of blank checks, while the bright lights of New York City and the familiarity of his former defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan, are out there with the Jets. A hometown discount is wishful thinking.

Having said that, if you're the Ravens, I have to think that Suggs would be priority No. 1 heading into the offseason. The most obvious reason being age. Suggs, at the age of 26, is going to be an impact player for a lot longer than Lewis at the age of 33.

Beyond that, if you lose Suggs, who is going to rush the quarterback? On a defense that thrives on the big play, Suggs is the man responsible for more big plays than anybody else on the defense with the exception of Ed Reed.

A quick look at the numbers over the past two seasons points out the the following:

-- Suggs has led the Ravens in sacks two years in a row, while also recording two in Sunday's AFC Championship game despite playing with only one good arm.

-- Over the same time period, Suggs has recorded 26 tackles for loss, compared to nine for Lewis. Suggs has led the Ravens in this category six consecutive years. Or, in other words, every year of his career.

The Ravens used the franchise tag on Suggs this season, and I can't imagine that either guy (Suggs or Lewis) would welcome it with open arms in place of a long-term contract, especially Lewis, who will probably be signing the final contract of his NFL career this offseason.