The Baltimore Ravens have activated Terrell Suggs from the physically unable to perform list. What kind of impact will he have on the team in 2016?
To call the Baltimore Ravens’ 2015 season a disappointment would be a severe understatement. Just two years removed from an unlikely Super Bowl run, and having reached the playoffs in 2014, the Ravens suffered a slew of injuries throughout last season. And none were bigger — in both on-field and locker-room impact — than the one suffered by veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs in Week 1.
Against the Denver Broncos, Suggs tore his achillies tendon, resulting in season-ending surgery. As the unit’s best player and unquestioned leader, Suggs’ absence crippled the Ravens defense, putting increasing pressure on an offense not exactly designed to light the scoreboard on fire.
Compared to 2014, when Suggs was on the field for all 16 of his team’s games, the Ravens — who desperately missed their de-facto captain’s abilities as a pass-rusher — gave up nearly six more points per game in the regular season in 2015.
Nearly a year after his injury, Suggs has been activated off of the PUP list. Coming back from his injury will still be a slow process, but it is great news for the Ravens to get him back on the practice field.
As a veteran, Suggs shouldn’t need much action in the preseason to find his groove, as it will be imperative for him to remain healthy during the regular season. Suggs is one of those rare players that makes others around him better because of the attention he warrants from opposing teams.
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Without Suggs last season, the Ravens got very little pressure on opposing quarterbacks (Elvis Dumervil led the team in sacks last season with just six). Suggs has been a great athlete throughout his career. Having him back to start the season would be a huge boost for a defense that sorely missed him last season.