National Football League

Ravens' Upshaw looking for more sacks in 2015

Published May. 18, 2015 6:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

If Courtney Upshaw wants to follow in the footsteps of former teammates Pernell McPhee and Paul Kruger and land big money, he knows sacks are the name of the game.

Upshaw, who has just three career sacks, has spent the bulk of his three-year career setting the edge on the Ravens defense against the run. With McPhee signing a five-year, $40 million deal with Chicago this offseason, Upshaw is focused on getting after the quarterback more in 2015, which certainly wouldn't hurt if the Ravens let him test the free agent market next year.

"I think Courtney is realizing that he's in his contract year, and getting to the quarterback only adds to his value as he moves forward," Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome told season ticket holders in a conference call last week per the team's official site.

"Any player would be lying if they said it didn't cross their mind that it’s their contract year," Upshaw said. "At the same time, in order for me to get a big payday like Pernell or anybody, I have to go out and handle business on the field."

Don't expect Upshaw to chase sacks at the expense of team performance, however. His patience behind dominant pass rushers like Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil shows how he's kept a team-first attitude.

"You have Suggs and Elvis – two of the top guys in the league who have been doing it for a long time – I knew that my role was to get in there, handle business on first, second downs, and get us to third down, and let those guys go hunt," Upshaw said. "I've never had a problem with it. Those are my teammates and I’m all about winning."

h/t: Baltimore Ravens