The Ravens announced Friday their intentions to terminate the contract of veteran defensive tackle Terrence Cody after the Super Bowl.
The timing of the move was unusual with Cody scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March anyway, but news of him being investigated for animal cruelty brought context as the 2010 second-round pick was already unlikely to return in 2015. According to The Sun, no charges have been filed yet and the case involves a dog.
Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged at his season-ending press conference earlier this month that the organization’s tolerance level has changed following an embarrassing offseason a year ago that included the Ray Rice saga and four other player arrests.
“It’s a privilege to play in the National Football League. It’s a privilege to be a part of the Ravens,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a standard to uphold there, and we expect them to. We’ve always expected them to do that. But I would think that it will be a little bit shorter leeway maybe than it’s been in the past.”
Re-signed to a one-year, $730,000 contract in early April, Cody was a non-factor for the Ravens in 2014 as he began the season on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from offseason hip surgery. Activated in early November, Cody played in just one game as younger players passed him on the depth chart.
His termination brings a disappointing five-year run with the Ravens to an end as the Alabama standout never lived up to expectations. His best season came in 2011 when he started 16 games at nose tackle and made 34 tackles, but he was supplanted by veteran Ma’ake Kemoeatu the following year and saw his playing time steadily decrease over the last three seasons.
Though not nearly as disappointing as fellow 2010 second-round pick Sergio Kindle, Cody will forever be remembered as a member of one of the forgettable draft classes in franchise history as only fourth-round tight end Dennis Pitta and fifth-round defensive tackle Arthur Jones went on to become reliable starters. Pitta is the only member of that class remaining with the organization, but his future remains unclear after suffering two serious hip injuries in 14 months.
In 57 career games, Cody has collected 87 tackles and two pass breakups.
