Sources close to Ray Lewis revealed on Friday that the linebacker will not return to the Ravens next season. For an unknown reason, Lewis has became upset with the Ravens after lengthy contract negotiations with the franchise.

Dallas linebacker DeMarcus Ware claims that Ray Lewis really wants to play for the Cowboys this coming season. According to Ware, the Ravens linebacker said it's his "dream" to play in Dallas and has repeatedly expressed his desire to sign there. "When we played Ray Lewis and Baltimore at the end of the season, he came over and pointed to my helmet. He said: 'I want to wear this star on my helmet. That's my dream ... that's my dream,'" Ware told the Cowboys' official Web site. "When we got to the Pro Bowl, he did it again. He came at me every day. He's trying to get down where the star is. He told me he needed me to get him [owner] Jerry Jones' phone number for him. I just busted out laughing."

The Jets appear to be clearing room to make a run at Ray Lewis. On Thursday, they released veteran backups David Bowens and Brad Kassell, which signify a pursuit of Lewis or Ravens teammate Bart Scott, another inside linebacker. "They must be targeting a linebacker, probably from Baltimore," Bowens said in a phone interview.

The Ravens have placed their franchise tag on Terrell Suggs, keeping the Pro Bowler for another season while trying to work out a long-term deal. "This is news to me," Suggs said Wednesday. "I didn't know. Last year they called me when they franchised me, and I expected the same thing this year. There is nothing I can really do about it." Suggs will be tendered a one-year, $10.2 million contract, which is 120 percent of his franchise tag from last season.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh's time in Cincinnati appears to be drawing to a close, and a number of teams are expected to show interest in the wide receiver. Seattle, San Francisco, Tennessee, Baltimore, Miami and Philadelphia are said to be in need of a top-flight receiver.

The Ravens are prepared to use their franchise tag on Terrell Suggs if they are unable to agree to a new deal by Thursday. Baltimore would keep Suggs off the free-agent market by tendering him a one-year contract worth $10.2 million. "You have to look at it as an opportunity for us to enter into a long-term deal," general manager Ozzie Newsome said.

Baltimore has cut cornerback Chris McAlister, a move that will save the team $8 million. McAlister, 31, is coming off season-ending injuries the past two seasons. Baltimore has several free agents set to test the market next week, including center Jason Brown and linebackers Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott.

If the Ravens decide to place their franchise tag on Ray Lewis, he would become the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. With the tag, Lewis would make $11,313,600 next season, not the $8,304,000 number that has been previously reported. The franchise number must either be the average of the top five players at the position, or 120 percent of a player's prior year salary -- whichever is greater.

Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh believes that linebacker Ray Lewis wants to retire as a member of the team. "I know Ray has to take a look around. But I'm definitely convinced that Ray wants to finish his career a Baltimore Raven. And there's no question the Baltimore Ravens definitely want Ray," Harbaugh said.

Ray Lewis told the NFL Network earlier this week that he won't give the Ravens a hometown discount in contract negotiations this offseason. Lewis is considering the Jets and Cowboys as options in the event he doesn't return to Baltimore. Owner Steve Bisciotti and linebacker Terrell Suggs brought up the possibility that Lewis might take less money to stay a few weeks ago. "I don't play less," Lewis told the NFL Network. "If you don't play less, you don't take less. That's just life."