*FAN SUBMISSION by Brad Kroner of Baltimore. Follow him on Twitter @bradkroner.*
When the Baltimore Ravens signed OLB Elvis Dumervil to a five year deal worth $35 million, it appeared that the Ravens would finally have the perfect complement for Terrell Suggs. Baltimore would have a pass rushing tandem that would rival the likes of the former duo in Indianapolis, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.
The Ravens also signed veteran Chris Canty to bolster the defensive line; he quickly inserted himself into the starting lineup. His three year deal is worth $8 million dollars.
These two would join Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs on the defensive front for Baltimore, and fans dreamed of how dominant this defense would be. If they knew that these four would only account for 23 sacks, they would have been disappointed.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
Suggs’ 2013 salary was $6.4 million, and his cap number was over $13 million. Ngata’s cap hit was $11.5 million. These cap figures were the two largest on the Ravens, but their production did not meet their cost.
While Suggs recorded an impressive nine sacks through the first nine weeks, he was notably absent for the remainder of the season. Suggs sacked the quarterback just once in the second half of the season. According to nfl.com, Suggs did not even record a single tackle against the Detroit Lions, despite starting in the game. In the regular season finale, Suggs made just one tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In that same game, Dumervil did not record a statistic; he was absent against Minnesota, too. He only recorded an assisted tackle against the New England Patriots. In the final seven games, he recorded one sack.
Suggs and Dumervil were supposed to be a dominant duo, yet they only combined for two sacks in the last seven games.
The Ravens desperately needed a win in Cincinnati. When the chips were down, this unit failed to deliver. Suggs and Dumervil combined for a lone tackle. Canty recorded just three tackles. In arguably the most important game of the season, they failed to hold their weight.
Ngata played well, however, totaling seven tackles, including five solo tackles. Unlike the others, Ngata elevated his play in the final three weeks, racking up 18 tackles. Still, as one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the game, he is expected to get more than a sack and a half.
The Ravens invested a lot of money in their defensive front, and they did not get their money’s worth.
