[News] Aging Terrell Suggs Feels 'Weird' Without Haloti Ngata

[BR News]

Terrell Suggs took it easy this offseason. He came back feeling his age.

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[757RavensFan]

It really shows that he took it easy this offseason.  He's definitely not at his playing weight. 

Hearing his press conference, it doesn't sound as if he's really excited about this upcoming season and his

remaining few years w/ the Ravens. 

[salamander]

Surprised that Suggs arrived at camp a bit out of shape compared to prior years. Maybe the logic is that his older body needs more rest in the off season but it has me a little worried. I would have guessed that an aging vet would have maintained or intensified off season conditioning as he got older, not reduce it. I hope that this approach doesn't come back to bite Suggs in the above mentioned love handles.

[RavenManiac#7]

Well, he definitely sounds like a different Suggs. It really sounds like he feels a little like the last kid on the block. I just hope he has plenty left in the tank, doesn't yet need to be spelled too often, and has a year good enough that he won't decide on retirement at the end of the season. He'll be hard to replace. He may not be a Ray Lewis, but there just haven't been too many as good as him either. It's hard to imagine him not being with us. Hang in there, Suggs. We love you.

[Dorota]

There are two possibilities -

1) He is a perpetual prankster and this is his way to shake the other AFC North teams when he goes into action in September.

2) ...and this is much more likely, Haloti's departure hit him like an Orinco truck and he realized that the era he played for is almost over and it's got him depressed and demotivated.

Even with option 2, it's possible he'll get back in shape and get over it, but it's possible it's the last year we see him play. I'm pretty sure he restructured partially in order to keep Haloti on the roster (I think it was before he left).

[designermaryland]

He looks like he came to mini camp a fat hippopotamus. That is inexcusable when you are a vet and making the kind of bank he is. I have always thought Suggs was undisciplined and over hyped, and the fact that he continues to get fat and out of shape every off season proves that. His playing time is going to drop significantly this year if he looks like that in preseason because he will be too slow.

[RaRaRavens]

Summer is long and a lot of time left, but the most discouraging fact about Suggs is that, even though he's out of shape, it doesn't seem to be a physical thing. It seems to be a mental thing. It seems as if he doesn't have any kind of motivation left in him. As if...he doesn't want to play anymore.

 

And if that's the case we should have serious concerns about the game of our pass rush.

Edited June 17, 2015 by RaRaRavens

[stixfix69]

Suggs will be fine, he has been a pro for 13 years, and he knows what kind of shape you have to be in to play at a high level for a full season....

[757RavensFan]

He looks like he came to mini camp a fat hippopotamus. That is inexcusable when you are a vet and making the kind of bank he is. I have always thought Suggs was undisciplined and over hyped, and the fact that he continues to get fat and out of shape every off season proves that. His playing time is going to drop significantly this year if he looks like that in preseason because he will be too slow.

 

A bit of an over-reaction. He doesn't get out of shape every off season. While disappointed he came to camp at his "walking weight", I'm confident that he'll be ready by the opening kickoff in Denver.

[Bob21043]

Him coming in out of shape means that he has to bust his butt even more now to get into game shape, instead of pacing his conditioning out over a longer period. Ray Lewis came into camp in better shape each year; he ramped up his intensity each off season to compensate for his advancing age and diminishing skills. Has Sizzle lost his fire ????

[Bob21043]

Is Sizzle starting to fizzle ??

[757RavensFan]

Summer is long and a lot of time left, but the most discouraging fact about Suggs is that, even though he's out of shape, it doesn't seem to be a physical thing. It seems to be a mental thing. It seems as if he doesn't have any kind of motivation left in him. As if...he doesn't want to play anymore.

 

And if that's the case we should have serious concerns about the game of our pass rush.

 

That's what bothers me more than anything.  If he's not motivated to play, of course he won't be motivated to work out and show up to mini-camp in shape.  There wasn't ANY passion about this season when listening to his presser.  Hearing him talk so much about his career winding down, doesn't give you the sense of urgency like in year's past.

[757RavensFan]

What's frustrating about this, is the excitement and potential this team has. There's a buzz about this Ravens team and I'm talking outside of Owings Mills.  I truly feel this team has the ability to do great things this season.  However, when one of the team leaders doesn't show the excitement for this season, it's disheartening. 

[trevorsteadman]

That news conference does not sound like the normal Suggs. Maybe he is debating calling it a career.... If he is winding down that is terrible news for the Ravens because their outside linebacker depth is very very thin. Very talented at the top but very thin. If Suggs doesn't produce around the 12-15 sack range like he typically does the Ravens defense may be hit very hard by opposing offenses.

[trevorsteadman]

He looks like he came to mini camp a fat hippopotamus. That is inexcusable when you are a vet and making the kind of bank he is. I have always thought Suggs was undisciplined and over hyped, and the fact that he continues to get fat and out of shape every off season proves that. His playing time is going to drop significantly this year if he looks like that in preseason because he will be too slow.

Now that is stretching it a bit dont you think? Of course he is a veteran and has a standard being in the NFL to keep his body to a certain weight and conditioning but undisciplined and out of shape every offseason? Am I the only person recalling stories all of the last 5-6 years where they said Suggs has been in his best shape of his career? I know for a fact there was one last season. Kind of hard to call him overhyped when hes getting around 15 sacks every season. He may act like a goofball during press conferences but so does Steve Smith. It isn't a discipline thing, it is just them joking around. 

[Bob21043]

Need to have a Pittsburgh reporter pick this up and write a "Suggs is Done" article. That will fire his butt up and get him going. Another trouble is that the rookies and young guys look up to Suggs for drive and motivation, and if he can't/won't do it anymore, then that leaves a void to be filled.

[RaRaRavens]

What's frustrating about this, is the excitement and potential this team has. There's a buzz about this Ravens team and I'm talking outside of Owings Mills.  I truly feel this team has the ability to do great things this season.  However, when one of the team leaders doesn't show the excitement for this season, it's disheartening. 

I could not have said it better myself!

[Arch Mage]

Suggs will Sizzle when the whistle blows. Let the man mourn a bit the loss of one of his fellow "warriors." He is a vet. He can handle it! Maybe he will be a bit more serious this year, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Bandit666]

Suggs may have lost a step, but QB's still fear him. He is at his best when people doubt him. Like Ray, he wants one more RING before he retires (motivation) and that could be this year.

[ksk316]

Time to look at another pass rusher. I just don't think Suggs will be up for it for 17 weeks.

Now, I am concerned about our pass rush.

[Amesr52]

He's done after this season. He's the last of the big four and he obviously isn't handling it too well. He doesn't have anymore best friends left on the team. I understand where he is coming from. It's easier for a QB to accept all the changes every year but it's not that easy on your defensive stars especially when they start getting older and have millions in the bank. Love ya Sizz but just let the next young Sizzle play. Upshaw or one of the younger guys would be ecstatic to start on this defensive front and get to go hunt.

[ravenstrong]

I think Suggs is still going to be an effective player no doubt, but it wouldn't surprise me if this is the year he starts to trail a little. I hope I'm very wrong, but there is something a little alarming about the way he spoke about his body and outlook at the podium yesterday. I may be looking into it too much, but he didn't have that same "Sizzle" we usually get. Hopefully that's back come training camp, along with his fitness level. I do have to say the pass rush is my biggest concern heading into this season, especially if Zadarius doesn't make an early impact.

Edited June 18, 2015 by ravenstrong

[The Mom Gene]

He's gonna be ready...  He's going through a lot with the other guys being gone, been through a little personal adversity too.  He'll be ready when it's time. Go Sizz.....

[757RavensFan]

He's gonna be ready...  He's going through a lot with the other guys being gone, been through a little personal adversity too.  He'll be ready when it's time. Go Sizz.....

 

 

Heard this too. Hope everything works out for him off the field, that's bigger than the game.

[Purple Dawg 96]

Haloti has to feel the same way!

[steelcityraven]

I like the idea of not over training at this stage of his career. You need more recovery time and mentally...you need to increase your recovery time. Suggs is a true professional. When it is game time he will be ready to go and He will do what he has always done... PRODUCE. then you add ZSmith into the mix and if he can give us some quality reps... and keep Sizzle fresh... it will be another interesting battle between suggs and dumervil to see who gets the most sacks again! Cant wait!

[Crusader]

You and me both brother. We lost our center rock.

[FloridalovesRavens]

Don't for one second think this man is over the hill. He will bring it when the time comes. He is a beast and will prove it again. Haloti chose not to be in Bmore and there was nothing we could do about that without jeopardizing the whole team. I am quite sure Haloti will miss the Ravens as well.

[Mystigo_Dragon]

He's done after this season. He's the last of the big four and he obviously isn't handling it too well. He doesn't have anymore best friends left on the team. I understand where he is coming from. It's easier for a QB to accept all the changes every year but it's not that easy on your defensive stars especially when they start getting older and have millions in the bank. Love ya Sizz but just let the next young Sizzle play. Upshaw or one of the younger guys would be ecstatic to start on this defensive front and get to go hunt.

 

We're talking about a professional football player here, not no high school guy who's pining over his chum getting transferred or expelled!

I firmly believe that any melancholy may last a couple of practices but a soon as the whistle blows in September, T-Sizzle will relegate Haloti's memory to his "personal shelf" with Ray, Ed and Bernard!

[Amesr52]

Are we forgetting the last time he came into to camp out of shape? He played terrible and kept getting injured. I'm just saying that if he is not in great shape and ends up getting injured half the season with his attitude in some of his interviews it makes me feel like this may be his last season. If he doesn't this season then I can only see him playing maybe one more. Just doesn't seem like he really wants to play into his mid 30's. Especially since he has a lot of interest in the movie business. I could really see him calling it a great career and moving on from football. If we end up winning another superbowl this year then I'd def think he and smith Sr would call it careers at the top the game.