OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Terrell Suggs filed a grievance against the Baltimore Ravens over whether he should be classified as a defensive end or a linebacker, a dispute in which $814,000 is at stake.
Suggs wants to receive the $8.879 million one-year salary for the defensive end franchise tag designation. The Ravens assigned Suggs the $8.065 million franchise tag for linebackers, the average of the top five linebackers' salaries in the NFL.
An arbitration hearing before an NFL special master to resolve the issue hasn't been scheduled.
Suggs contends he played more than 50 percent of his snaps at defensive end last year. When the Ravens used the tag on Suggs on Feb. 19, general manager Ozzie Newsome countered that argument.
"Well, in our defense, Terrell has always been an outside linebacker, was drafted as an outside linebacker and that's why he was designated as such," Newsome said.
Newsome added that Suggs was twice voted to the Pro Bowl as a linebacker and plays linebacker in the team's base defense.
The Ravens still want to sign Suggs to a long-term contract extension, but negotiations are on hold until his franchise designation is determined by an arbitrator.
Suggs' agent, Gary Wichard, didn't return telephone calls and e-mails.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.
