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Baltimore Ravens should cut Haloti Ngata if he won’t re-do contract

By Nick Ziegler

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When you think Baltimore Ravens football, defense is the first thing that comes to mind with previous stars like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and more current cornerstones, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata.

Lewis and Reed will be heading into Canton as Ravens, with Lewis playing his whole career in Baltimore, and Reed staying there for a majority of his. Suggs before the 2014 season signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Ravens through the 2019 season. The extension signed by Suggs not only kept him around, but also saved the Ravens on the salary cap with the high guaranteed percentage of the new deal.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have been trying to get a deal done the past few seasons, but Ngata’s response has been, “Thanks, but no thanks.” The Ravens would like Ngata to sign a deal similar to Suggs, but so far haven’t had much luck.

Like Suggs, Ngata has had a huge impact on the Ravens’ franchise, as since he was drafted in 2006, the Ravens have had a Top 5 rush defense in seven of those nine seasons. With his great play since being drafted, he has become a leader in the locker room for the Ravens.

Ngata can still play at a high-level, as last year he had a productive all-around season with 31 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

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For his career, Ngata has been rarely been injured, with the 12 games he played in 2014 being the lowest amount in his career. In nine seasons, he has 445 tackles, 25.5 sacks, and has a knack for creating turnovers. Ngata has five interceptions, six forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.

In 2015, Ngata will have an $8.5 million salary, and with $16 million counting towards the cap. At 31-years old, Ngata is not worth that kind of money, and last season also was suspended four-games for PED’s.

When Ngata was suspended, the Ravens surprisingly didn’t miss a beat however, as they went 3-1 during that stretch to make the playoffs. Replacing Ngata mostly during the suspension was rookie from Florida State, Timmy Jernigan. In his rookie year, Jernigan finished with 23 tackles, and four sacks. With the way that Jernigan performed as a rookie, it would lessen the blow if Ngata is cut, as they have his replacement on the team already.

Ravens’ general manager Ozzie Newsome has a history of trying to be loyal to players that have been first-round picks with success in Baltimore. Ngata certainly fits that bill, and the Ravens obviously want to have him back, but at the same time can’t pay him what he’s owed next season.

The Ravens don’t have too much cap space, which makes Ngata redoing his contract imperative for the Ravens. They would like to re-sign two of their main offensive weapons in Justin Forsett and Torrey Smith, but in order for that to happen Ngata has to either go or redo his contact.

If Ngata stays firm on not wanting to redo his contact the Ravens will have no choice but to cut him and move on, but the Ravens will hope it won’t come to that, but if he does they will be fine next season.

Next: Where Will DeMarco Murray Play in 2015?

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