Tyipcally, when you win the Super Bowl it means you've done something right and you've got something special. Most teams in that situation try to keep the team together as much as possible and attempt to repeat the following season. On a 53 man roster there are bound to be some moves and retirees, but you try to keep the core group together. Usually the players also like to stick around as winning championships is an enjoyable experience. Since the Super Bowl the Ravens have lost a Hall of Fame linebacker to retirement (Ray Lewis), traded their leading receiver in catches and yards for a sixth round pick (Anquan Boldin), released their leading tackler (Bernard Pollard), Lost a Hall of Fame safety and both of their interception leaders to free agency (Ed Reed and Cary Williams each had 4), lost their sack leader to free agency (Paul Kruger) and another effective linebacker (Dannell Ellerbe). To replace this production the Ravens have added DL Marcus Spears and DE Chris Canty.
I have never seen a championship team dismantled so quickly. We knew Ray Lewis was gone and there were going to be some salary cap casualties, but I didn't expect this mass exodus so recently after winning a Super Bowl. I can't see how they're going to replace all that talent with what's left of free agency and the draft and be a contender next year. It sounds weird to say it, but with all the talent that Pittsburgh and Baltimore have lost recently I like the Bengals to win the AFC North next season.
Another one of my Patriots off season theories bit the dust as Schefter is reporting that Ed Reed has come to terms with the Houston Texans. There's no exact terms of the deal, but according to reports, the Texans offered Reed a three-year deal in the salary range of $4 million annually, although Reed has been seeking a salary similar to the $7.2 million he earned last season.
I guess we'll see what the final price comes out to be, but I'm disappointed the Patriots didn't seem to make a run at getting Ed Reed. I'm not upset about Adrian Wilson, in some ways he's a better fit than Reed. We don't need to move Devin McCourty around, he's got some nice career accolades, he's the same age as Reed and probably will be a fraction of the money that Reed is going to get. It's a smart and sensible signing, but I was hoping for something flashier out of the Patriots. Picking up a talent like Ed Reed would make me feel a little better about losing Wes Welker. Free Agency isn't over and I think the Patriots still have some money to spend (reports of the Patriots salary cap figures are soft of all over the place, it gets confusing when you work in the space they got back from the Fanene deal last season), but there's no names still out on the market that are really going to get me excited or feel satisfied with how this free agency period has gone. It's also a little bothersome that Reed is going to a team we'll be playing in the regular season and possibly in the playoffs as well next season. If he ended up somewhere in the NFC where we'd only see him every 4 years I'd be happier about this.
“They win [Super Bowls]. At the Super Bowl, I was asked if I would play for Coach Belichick and my answer was: ‘What player wouldn’t play for Coach Belichick?’ He is a good football coach, has a great mind for football. I met Coach Belichick at a Pro Bowl. He is a great guy, great competitor and seems to understand his players. I was just asked the question at the time [but] I am a Raven, plan on being a Raven. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else, but if it happens, I am a football player, I can adapt to any situation.”
This really still leaves the door wide open, but this is really what he should've said the first time he made a comment about Belichick. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens with the Ravens now that they pissed away so much money on Flacco. Do they have enough room to resign Bolins and Reed. If they can't I hope the Patriots make a strong push for either. They would fit in great here.
One of the biggest names in the upcoming free agent market is going to be Baltimore's Ed Reed. Reed is just coming off of his first Super Bowl win and has been one of the best safeties in the game over the course of his 11 seasons in the league. His accolades are extensive: 9 Pro Bowl Appearances (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) 8 All-Pro Selections (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2004) AFC Defensive Player of the Year (2004) 2-time NFL Alumni Defensive Back of the Year (2004, 2008) 3 Seasons as NFL Interceptions leader (2004, 2008, 2010)
When evaluating the possible free agent market and the needs of the New England Patriots this seemed like a good fit in terms of filling an area of need. The media ran with this and questioned Reed about how he felt about possibly playing for Bill Belichick.
"I could definitely play for coach Belichick," Reed said, Fox Sports reported. "He is a great coach. I'm sure he can help me to expand my football knowledge even more as a player and as a coach, so if I'm ever able to be around him, just like I was at the Pro Bowl, it's huge."
This was clearly the wrong answer from Reed only a few days before going into the Super Bowl and he later backed off these comments and gave the proper, less controversial response.
“Of course I want to stay in Baltimore,” Reed told The Boston Globe. “I was asked, would I play for Bill Belichick? Yes. What football players wouldn’t play for Coach Belichick? Will I be in New England? Most likely not. It’s just terrible that people get half the story. It’s even more bad when you hear the comments that they make towards you. But it comes with it, man.”
The respect has been reciprocated by Bill over the course of his career, even beyond his normal tire pumping of opponents. The Patriots could be playing Foxboro High School football team and I think Bill would still give the "Well, they're a good football team, they do a lot of things well..." that Patriots fans have come to know by heart. In an informal documentary setting, Bill seems to give more honest appraisals of his opinions than he does in a press conference setting. In "Bill Belichick: A Football Life" he's shown speaking at length about Ed Reed in his meeting with Tom Brady.
So, there's the argument that makes me think this deal could happen. There seems to be a genuine mutual respect and admiration between the Patriots/Bill Belichick and Ed Reed. The Patriots secondary is thin and the addition of an impact, veteran presence like Reed could really help this unit. Furthermore, with Joe Flacco about to win the lottery with a massive deal it's possible that salary cap issues may keep the Ravens from being able to afford Reed's services.
So what are the problems with this match made in heaven? 1) Age. Ed's put in 11 NFL seasons and it brings up questions about how much tread is left on the tires. How much more does he want to play and how much longer can he compete at a high level? There were some that speculated that Reed might choose to follow in teammate Ray Lewis' footsteps and finish on top, however, Reed has emphatically denied this. 2) Cost. Even at his age, Reed is likely going to command a top of the market deal no matter where he goes. The Patriots very rarely spend top of the market money on an outside free agent. Even those who have certainly paid their dues like Wes Welker have a hard time getting a proper payday out of the Patriots. The last time they notably broke the bank on a Ravens defensive free agent with Adalius Thomas the Patriots regretted making that move. They signed Thomas to a 5-year contract worth $35 million, including $20 million in guaranteed money and had to eat the last two seasons after cutting him just after the 2010 NFL draft. Of course Adalius Thomas is not Ed Reed, but Bill seems to have been wary of high price tag free agents ever since. The Patriots also have some decisions to make on their own high priced free agents with Aqib Talib and Wes Welker set to hit the open market. 3) Devin McCourty. I have never been a huge Devin McCourty fan, his performance has gone downhill ever since his pro bowl selection in his rookie year and he has never justified his first round selection, but I do feel he's really found a spot for himself at Free Safety. Wouldn't you know it, Ed Reed also plays Free Safety. If you brought Reed on board, McCourty would have to change positions again. Either returning to cornerback or switch to playing Strong Safety and pushing Steve Gregory out. I'm not sure how difficult the transition from FS to SS is, but I would imagine there would be some dropoff while McCourty learns to play the position.
If I had to guess, I would say there's about a 20% chance of this deal happening, 50% chance he goes back to the Ravens and 30% chance he ends up somewhere else in the league. Some have noted that Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano has worked extensively with Reed in his previous job as the Ravens Defensive Coordinator and may be in the market for his services. ESPN's Pat Yasinskas noted that Reed is originally from Louisiana and may find the possibility of finishing his career close to his home appealing as the Saints also have need of some upgrades in their secondary.
"Ravens safety Ed Reed had a warning for reporters Monday: Don't be so sure Ray Lewis will retire after Super Bowl XLVII. That's the word from NFL.com's Chris Wesseling. “Maybe he'll play 10 games next year,” Reed said, according to Wesseling."
This better not be true. After all this Ray Lewis blowing I really can't stomach a Brett Favre like comeback. I respect the player (maybe not the man), but if he comes back after all the tearful goodbyes, and weekly tributes I am going to puke.
Actually in general the Ravens make me want to puke. Yes, I am bitter as a Patriots fan, but I am sick of them. I am sick of Ray Lewis crying speeches and Bible verses, and I am even more sick of Terrell Suggs and his big fucking mouth. Guy never shuts up, and why the hell does anyone listen to him? Do you guys remember this is the same dude that threw bleach on a 1 year old baby? Yea, lets have a whole Super Bowl about a guy that helped covered up a murder, and a dude that thinks it's OK to throw bleach on babies and their mothers.
I just feel like all the stories are about the Ravens, and I'm already tired of them and now (for the first time all playoffs) am completely on the 49ers bandwagon for this game, oh and the #4 for a combined score, because I got $100 dollar square on that.
"I can see Reed playing for the New England Patriots for two reasons: the Patriots need a playmaker in the back end of the defense after giving up the most passes over 20 yards in the NFL this season and coach Bill Belichick loves Reed. It's a full-blown man crush. A couple of years ago, Tom Brady joked that Belichick wanted to adopt Ed Reed and change his name to 'Ed Belichick.'"
"I think if Ed Reed becomes a free agent, he ought to last about 48 hours on the street," Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes Monday. "And as I said on NBC Sunday night, my money's on the Patriots and the president of the Ed Reed Fan Club, Massachusetts Chapter, Bill Belichick."
Hard not to like the idea of Ed Reed on the Patriots, but I just can't picture him wearing a different uniform. I actually didn't know that Belichick was such a big fan, but we have seen his man crushes backfire before (Ochocino). Still, any help in the defensive backfield would be a welcome site, and Ed Reed certainly knows what it takes to win.
