It may seem Ed Reed knows what Ed Reed wants to do. At face value, it seems he flip-flops more then a politician during election season. I don’t follow that line of thinking. He knows exactly what he’s doing. The summer is a slow sports news time. Baseball is drudging through the middle of its seemingly years-long season, colleges are on break, and the “dream team” is beating teams by an average of 67 points or so. By spouting off now, Reed knows it will get attention and will bring his contract situation into the limelight. It is his way of trying to pressure the Ravens into paying him the money he believes he deserves. The Ravens have their way of doing business that they do not break from (see Ray Lewis circa 2009), but Reed can certainly try. Because he is his own agent, Reed sets himself up for being the “bad guy” in the eyes of the fans.
Luckily for Reed, it really does not matter. Yes, his offseason antics have grown tiresome. Yes, he signed a contract that he should play through; every other player who signed a contract should as well. However, as soon as the season starts and the defense is introduced, the entire stadium will shout “REEEEEED” as Baltimore has done for a decade. Contract disputes that irk fans in the offseason disappear in the regular season. Reed continues to be one of the best free-safties in the game. Its no coincidence that Lardarius Webb had five interceptions while Reed only had 1 in the last 15 games of the regular season. No one throws anywhere near him. Ask T.J. Yates and Ben Roethlisberger what happens when you do.
Reed is playing us all. The fact that it had the entire Baltimore sports world captivated for the better part of a month, shows it’s working.
Blog from Terrapin Junior Max Grossfeld
Chris
The lead had me hooked, which is exactly the objective of all column or blog leads.
The analysis and opinion did not disappoint either.
Keep telling it like it is, Max!
· 11/12/2019