Will the Ravens Bring Back Derek Wolfe?
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — By all accounts, the Ravens decision to sign Derek Wolfe to a one-year deal prior to last season was a resounding success.
The stalwart defense end made a huge impact and helped fill the void when Calais Campbell was sidelined with a calf injury.
Near the end of last season, Wolfe stated his desire to stay in Baltimore and the Ravens are reportedly interested in negotiating a new contract.
"I would love to stay here in Baltimore. I feel like I have proven myself," Wolfe said. "When things got tough and we lost some guys, I was playing 60 snaps a game and playing at a high level, I thought. I know the sack numbers aren’t there, but that’s not what this defense requires me to do – is to get sacks.
"This defense requires me to stop the run and create opportunities for other people to get sacks. So, I feel like I’ve done that, and it’s in their hands."
Wolfe tied a career-high with 51 tackles and finished with one sack, six tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, one fumble recovery and two passes defended over 14 games. Wolfe has expressed interest in returning to Baltimore.
Wolfe made $3 million last season and the Ravens would be ecstatic to reach a similar deal this year. At this point of his career, Wolfe's main focus is winning another Super Bowl after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with the Denver Broncos in the 2015 season.
“I came here because I wanted to get back to winning football games," Wolfe said. That’s why you play the game. When I started playing this game when I was seven years old, I started playing because I liked to win. So, unfortunately, I had the rough four years in Denver – we weren’t winning football games. It made me really not love the game anymore.
"When you can go win playoff games and have a chance to go win that Super Bowl … Because once you win one, it’s like a drug; you want it again. And when that opportunity really isn’t there, and you know you don’t have the team that can really do it, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s hard to get up every day and go do it. But when you're on a team that has the players, the coaching staff, an organization that’s fully invested in winning a Super Bowl, it makes it fun."
