Kyle Simpson, Ravens Corespondent
We, as fans, get so emotionally attached to our teams and its members that we forget that football is, at its core, a business. And I am extremely guilty of this. Last night I got on Twitter to be greeted by multiple tweets from multiple sources saying that Ed Reed was no longer a member of the Baltimore Ravens. I could not believe my eyes. The Ravens had lost another core member of the defense, and one of my favorite players of all time.
After many days of apparent deliberation, Reed had decided that he would take the money that Houston was offering, and join the Texans.
I expected Reed to leave, but at the same time, it just breaks my heart. I remember ordering my first Ravens jersey of my own, and the player I picked was Ed Reed. I always liked how the crowd would always drone “REEED” whenever he made a play. And now, there will me no more of those moments – at least not from Ravens fans. It just tugs at your heartstrings as a fan. (I guess I am a football dork.)
But what does Reed’s departure mean for the Ravens in general? There are a few things it does and does not mean. First, it does mean that Ozzie Newsome means serious business about not over paying players. It also means that he is pushing the reset button on the defense. He is getting younger, faster, and cheaper at whatever cost. What it does not mean, is that the Ravens will not regret letting Reed go. They will. Maybe not on the field, but they have no leaders in the locker room or film room to lead their new onslaught of rookies coming in this year. I do not see the advantage in letting Reed walk, especially after Ray Lewis’ retirement. And with the numbers I have been seeing thrown around with Reeds offer from the Texans (2-3 years for $16 million), in my eyes the Ravens could have easily matched. Why did the Ravens not push for the Hall of Famer? And now I see reports that Micheal Huff of the Raiders (who is 30, Reed is 34) is visiting? And you want HIM over Ed Reed? How does that make sense?
I trust Ozzie one-hundred percent. But this move makes me scratch my head. I understand that the NFL is a business, but how could you purely judge Reed’s value off of his on-field presence? Why, with Ray Lewis gone, do you let Reed go?
There are many reasons why I am not General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens, instead I write about them. So there probably is some logical reasoning behind this move, but I just do not get it.
At any rate, a huge thanks to Ed Reed for his time in Baltimore. He will always be one of my favorite players and he will be sorely missed. Best of luck to him at the Texans.
And I feel like doing this one last time, for old times sake:
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED.
