Ed Reed on retirement, Ray Lewis and if he's the best safety ever

Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed chatted up the Baltimore sports media today. He took on a couple of really interesting topics...

On if he is aware of the debate that is starting saying that he could possibly be the best safety of all time and if he enjoys it: “I mean, you’ve got to enjoy it. I listen to that, and like I [said], everybody’s good, and everybody’s the best in their own right. It was a different time when Ronnie Lott and [those guys] played. I feel like the game was more physical. There weren’t as many rules as they have on the game today, offensive rules and stuff to help the offense. With comparisons to Troy [Polamalu], knowing how Dick LeBeau moves him around, and he’s at D-line one time, linebacker another time, not playing safety the full right. He’s a great football player, though, not to take anything away from Troy. I just try to be my best to help my team. That’s all you can do. You let everybody else do the comparisons.”

On if the change in defensive coordinator has brought a new look or if it’s still business as usual: “It’s business as usual, and [there’s] some new stuff in there. You expect to have changes every year. Even with Rex [Ryan], we came in and we had different things we did year to year. It’s a couple of little changes. We’ll see how it goes, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to get out there and execute and play football regardless of who the caller is.”

On if he feels like his old self: “Yeah, I’m feeling all right. They let me practice a little earlier this year.”

On if he wants to return punts: “I don’t know. If I’m needed and coach [John Harbaugh] allows me to… Because sometimes it’s in the swing of the game that I ask to do it, and he lets me go back there. It’s really a point of whatever it takes to help the team win. But, we’ve got more than enough guys that can do different things on this team right now and great athletes back there returning kicks.”

On the feel he has for head coach John Harbaugh now compared to last year: “He’s all football, he’s all football. I think there is some stuff that comes with being a head coach, that you have to be a certain way. I think coach knows that, and he has great mentors around him to help him be a good head coach. At the end of the day, he’s my head coach, and I’m going to play on his team. There are certain things I have to abide by. It might not be all the time we agree with each other, but that’s a part of being a family and working with each other.”

On an athlete he’s never played with, but would love to play with and why: “I don’t think he’s in this league, not even in this sport. I grew up watching Michael Jordan – his work ethic and the intensity he brought to a team. I always patterned what I did on the basketball court after him, but I took things he said [about] work ethic and as a person. When you watched him, he made others around him better. But, he always gave his all at what he did, even when he was sick. It was really, more or less, in college than it was in the pros, because that’s when he was more or less still playing. If I had a chance to play anything, it would probably be a game on his team. We’d have to talk about 3-guard though, because that’s what I played. I can play the 2 right now, shoot, or go play golf with him. That’d probably be it.”

On what LB Ray Lewis demands and brings to the table as a teammate: “Ray is like that Michael Jordan figure on this team, to go back to [the earlier question]. His work ethic is totally off the charts. His intensity and his film study and what he knows about the game is what makes you want to get better. Obviously, I took my game to another step once he and I started watching film together, and just picking his brain on things. Now, Ray is that father on the field that’s getting guys lined up. And, they can learn how to play the game by just watching him.”

On if he or other guys go to Lewis with personal problems: “I’m sure guys go and ask him questions. I still would ask him things if it came across me. I mean, I’m 30 at this point, too. It’s like, guys come to me… Everybody feeds off everybody. There are so many things that go through the locker room. Guys go through many situations that you hear. So you can learn. Sometimes you don’t have to ask. Sometimes, Ray will just give it to you.”

Ray Lewis on flirting, Super Bowls and aging

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis spoke with the Baltimore sports media July 31 at training camp. Here are his thoughts...

On his offseason workout regimen: “Same things, just shredded it a lot – lost about 15 [pounds]. I wanted to come in and play a lot lighter. Anytime you have two-deep D-linemen, I’m excited about that. We have a rotation that we wanted to have before, and when you have that type of rotation for your [linebackers], that’s a big thing. You can just run all day and have fun. It’s good seeing Kelly [Gregg] back; he’s out there like a little kid. He doesn’t know all the tackles just yet again (laughter), so we need to get him back in to that. But overall, for me, it feels good to be back, and I’m just excited for another year. Here we go.”

On how it feels to know it is his 14th NFL season: “First of all, it’s just a blessing to God that I can come back and do it year after year – come back with no injuries, no setbacks and things like that. Anytime that you can find yourself feeling as good as I’ve been feeling this past offseason, training-wise, you really have fun training. That’s what I went back to – I had a lot of fun training this year. There was no lagging and things like that. Fourteen – it’s a great number. For me, I’m always chasing to do some different and new things. I keep them to myself, but it’s a lot of great goals I have set for myself.”

On what his first-ever NFL training camp practice was like 14 years ago: “I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you what it was like then. That was too long ago. I was 17 years old. I was just running around, trying to figure it all out. You know, all the old guys were coaching me here and there, the [Rob] Burnetts, Eric Turners, all those guys, man. I’ll tell you, what you do get from it, you do get the sense of how many guys – when I was young, how many guys I leaned on – and now for myself, being the veteran, how many guys lean on me. You know, not just when we get here, but the whole offseason. If anything is more exciting, it’s just the advance from where I came from in 14 years is always a great thing.”

On the state of the defense after several offseason changes in personnel: “It’s always business as usual. People don’t understand – over the last 10 years – we have to know how many coordinators we’ve seen. We’ve seen coordinators come in and out. Who we are is who we are, bottom line. We’re going to always stick to our identity with who we are. Congratulation to Rex [Ryan]. Go ahead and do your thing at the Jets, but we’re Ravens. We’re Ravens for life, and that’s an honor. The bottom line is, the way we play defense is our mentality – it’s not a coach’s mentality – it’s the way we play. Whoever comes and goes, it was good playing with you, but it’s time to go on.”

On whether he can imagine playing for any other NFL team: “Never. Never. Never. I would never leave my city. I love it too much.”

On why he “flirted” with other teams in the offseason: “With who? I didn’t flirt with anybody. I mean, I flirt when I pass by a beautiful woman walking down the street. (laughing) That doesn’t mean I talk to her. (laughing) I’ll tell you the thing, when you really look at all of the things that go on – I’m not going to name names – but all of the people who change and try to do this and try to find out that, I don’t want to ever go anywhere. I’m bred here, I started my career here and I’m going to end my career here. I would never go put on another uniform and play for one year, two years. No, it’s just not worth it. It’s not worth what’s invested in my city, what I give back to my city off the field and what my city gives back to me. There’s no greater reward than that. When you hear the things that people say, that’s a reward, that you know you can help change someone’s life through your efforts and going out – whatever it is – on and off the field. I love Baltimore. It’s just a great place.”

On the state of the offense and public questions at wide receiver: “I say if you’re going to judge us, judge us as a team, because that’s what we are. We bought into that. Years, we’ve been dealing with the same thing for years. Last year, we had heard the same speculation coming into the year, that our offense was going to do this. Bottom line, we’ve got some great young talent over there. Ray Rice, to me, is just one of the most exciting players to watch play football. Joe Flacco is growing up. We get our first-round tackle drafted and our offensive line is back in tact, and that’s where winning starts from. It starts from in the trenches, and we have that again. That’s exciting, from the offensive side and the defensive side. On the defensive side, we’re running two-deep, bottom line on the defensive line. As a team, we’re built. We’ve got one mindset – beat us as a team – because you can’t beat us as an offense and defense. You’ve got to beat us as a team.”

 On whether he gets hungrier for another Super Bowl as he gets older: “Yeah, what it is, is you try to get young guys to clue in on how important it is. You know, of guys who went 14 or 15 years and never saw a ring – you try to express that taste to them. Opportunities don’t knock like that. I still tell them, you think about the AFC Championship last year and you’re talking about five minutes away from going to a dance. Those opportunities don’t come every day. I used to watch football for a long time, and for me now, it’s just the excitement of having the right guys in the right place. That’s kind of what the energy is. So, getting them to focus in and clue in and say, ‘We can go be whatever we want to be,’ that’s my job.”

On whether he is the same player he was five years ago: “I think I’m probably better now because I’m just wiser. Wisdom overrides talent any day. Talent fades – wisdom never fades – wisdom grows. That’s why I’m a better player, because I can make my team better. I can make guys better around me. Making plays, for me, on a football field is the easiest thing I can wake up and do. Influencing men is what my challenge is every day. You know, to get a man to go full speed every play, to get a man to study, to get a man to understand if you want to do something great, [then] go work to be great. When you ask me if I’m good, I’m only better because what’s around me is better. Every year they say, ‘Your defense is getting old,’ but it’s hard to be old when you’re always No. 1 or No. 2. It’s hard to be old when you haven’t seen a 100-yard rusher in two-and-a-half years. It’s hard. Those things will energize me day in and day out, to come back and always be a better leader.”

On how they bridge the gap this year and advance to the Super Bowl: “Oh, easily. Bottom line, you leave no room for error. Last year, you go back to [the AFC Championship] – and coaches will hit on it in practice – you take one or two of those penalties away from any one of those Pittsburgh games, everything is different. That’s the bottom line. Now, you’ve got to come back and leave no room for error. You’ve got to come back with a different type of wisdom. If you’re going to hit someone in the back, boom. If you’re going to go make a tackle, [then] go make the tackle – things like that. The bottom line is this is a game of inches. You can go back and watch all three of those games that we played them, and it was always one play away from [winning]. That’s the thing that we have to go back and correct, and hopefully we get back to that position where we won’t make the same mistakes.”

On whether he has spoken to WR Derrick Mason and if he can speak to Mason’s mindset: “No, I can’t. I can’t. Sometimes you want to, but I can’t speak for [Derrick]. [Derrick] is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. For him to make that decision, there’s a reason he made that decision. There’s a reason that whatever he’s going through… You know, I pray for him every day. Coach Hue [Jackson] gave me his number and I’m going to reach out to him, but I want him to take his time to figure out what he and his family are going to do. When he makes up his mind as a teammate, he’ll get in touch with whoever he’s supposed to get in touch with. That’s one of the greatest warriors to play this game, and you have to appreciate, whatever decision he makes, he makes. I won’t speak for him, but I know that Derrick Mason is probably making the decision that’s best for him and his family.”

On how many years he has left in his tank: “Only God can tell me that. Only God can tell me that. Anytime I feel as good as I feel, and I can keep leading these men the way I lead these men, life keeps going. The one thing about me is when I’m done, I’m done. I’m not going to keep going back and forth. That’s why I train the way I train – that when I do step back on the field, it’s like I can just go have fun again. So for me, year in and year out, it’s always, ‘What’s next? When is it over?’ Only God can tell you when it’s over. I’m having too much fun playing right now.”

On his impressions of LB Jameel McClain: “He’s a youngster, man. He’s a young warrior. I love his attitude about the game. The thing is, he really challenges me. When people say I’m so studious about the game, he challenges me every day like that, ‘Why’d you do this, or why’d you say that?’ That’s when you know a young guy is really interested in becoming better, and he’s one of those young guys. Talent-wise, he’s going to always be able to do that, but the bottom line is what he wants to learn. Every second of the day is what’s most exciting for me.”

On whether he feels more confident in saying they have to be beat as a team this year than he did last year: “Well, that wasn’t the question. The question was do we worry about the offense not being this and that. And I was like, ‘If you’re going to defeat us, you’re going to defeat us as a team.’ There’s no one side to any of this. When we step on the field, we’re one heartbeat, bottom line.”

On whether he feels more comfortable saying that this year than in years past: “Yeah, absolutely. Every year you feel confident, but with the young talent we’ve got now, why wouldn’t I feel confident?”

John Harbaugh's first press conference of training camp

JOHN HARBAUGH OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE JULY 27

On if it is a relief to be at camp after what has gone on the past two weeks: “I wouldn’t consider it in those terms. We’re excited to be here. We’re excited for training camp. We had a nice break. We had a nice five-week break, four-week break, six-week break. A lot of guys have been working with Bill [Tessendorf]. Guys have been working on their own. Everybody that I have talked to is excited to go to training camp. They’re excited to go to work. I know the coaches feel that way, and the players feel that way.”

On what happened with WR Drew Bennett and where that leaves the Ravens at the wide receiver position: “Well, what happened with Drew was the fact that he went through a real tough workout. Part of the process… I think that’s why you put guys through a workout at this stage, is to find out how they recover the next day and what not. His knees just didn’t calm down, and he felt like this is going to be a problem now, and forever really, because it’s arthritic. And it is time for him to move on. He didn’t feel like he could get through a practice, let alone a season at this level.”

On if he was shocked to hear about Bennett’s sudden retirement: “No, I don’t get shocked. You would never characterize it that way. Things happen, and we’re getting ready for practice. I’m shocked by the question, actually, that you would even ask that after a year.” (laughing)

On whether he anticipates signing another wide receiver: “We’ll add another receiver because we need receivers now to fill out training camp. So, we’re looking for the best guys out there that we can – young guys, older guys, whoever that may be – to put 10 or 11 receivers into training camp. That’s what we’ve got to do right now, so we’ve got some irons in the fire.”

On whether his phone starts ringing off the hook when a player retires and a roster spot opens up: “My phone doesn’t – yeah, my phone was good. (laughter) No, we’re always working on that; we’re all on top of that as it is. You know, Ozzie’s [Newsome] been fielding calls and talking to agents and players, and Vince [Newsome] has been doing the same thing. It’s an ongoing process. I mean, everybody wants to talk about one specific position and it goes on with every single position. We’re not thinking about one spot. We’re thinking about our whole football team, our whole roster and making it as good as we possibly can. So, yeah, you may see a move at receiver, but you may see a move at linebacker or defensive line or somewhere else, too. We’re always going to try to make our team as good as it can be.”

On the status of rookie T Michael Oher’s contract negotiations and if he will be a camp within the next day or two: “Michael Oher, I know he wants to be here. He’s said that many times. Ozzie wants him to be here, and his agent wants him to be here. Not too many first-round picks have signed yet, so a lot of that hinges on how that all slots out. I think there’s going to be some… The agent wants to make sure he does the right thing by Michael. And we want to make sure that we do the right thing by Michael, too. We want to get the best contract we can for him as soon as we can. It should happen pretty soon.”

On if he has to set his tempo at his camp every year or if he’ll move to a new level in his program: “That’s a really broad question. What we’re focused on right now is having a great training camp. We want to have the best training camp in the NFL, and that starts with tomorrow. We want to have the best day we can have tomorrow. That’s how it was last year, that’s how it’s going to be next year, and that’s how it is this year. We’re excited to get going, and we’ll just go about the business of practicing football.”

On what went into the release of TE Quinn Sypniewski: “The knee… The surgery didn’t work. That’s the way you can describe it. So he’s got to have some more… He had some more work done on it, and that’s healing right now. We’re just giving him a chance to heal right now. He can’t be on the 80-man roster at this stage. We need to have all our guys at practice right now. We’ve got a plan for Quinn. He’s still very much in our plans down the road, and he’ll be working hard to get that knee ready.”

On how he handles the distraction of WR Derrick Mason’s retirement with the team: “Everything that happens to our football team, every bit of adversity we face, every bit of success we face, is an opportunity to get better. So, I don’t care what it is – who’s here, who’s not here – we don’t care about any of it. It’s irrelevant except to the extent that we can become a better football team today, and that’s what our guys are going to be focused on. We’re not talking about any specific players or anything like that. Everybody knows the situation. We’ve got a job to do today, our guys can’t wait to go to work, and that’s it. And that’s what training camp is about.”

On whether he has different feelings about Mason’s retirement process: “I haven’t spoken with him since [their meeting last week], so I’m sure it’s pretty much the same, and we’ll be seeing what happens in the next few days.”

On whether they have had to put anyone on the Physically Unable to Perform list yet: “Not yet. No, we’ll start tomorrow with that and the next couple of days.”

On whether he knows who will be placed on PUP: “No.”

Terrell Suggs teleconference transcript

Baltimore reporters talked with Terrell Suggs about his contract extension today. Here's the transcript of that conversation and Coach John Harbaugh's thoughts as well.


LB Terrell Suggs

What is your reaction to this deal and what kind of responsibility do you feel to live up to the deal?
“You know I’m always trying to do better. That’s my reaction to it, and I’m just happy it got done, because like I said before, I consider myself a player of the fans – I play for them. I love the cheer that I get when I’m running out of the tunnel, and I’m just glad that we finally got back to football, and that they wanted me there and I wanted to be there. Ozzie [Newsome] and everybody, we all wanted the same thing, and we just had to agree on the little stuff. Both sides compromised a lot, and now we came to an agreement – a great agreement – that we both felt was great and now we can get back to the football.”

What was your reaction to the size of the contract? Were you surprised by the amount of money you’re going to be getting?
“Yeah, everybody’s saying, ‘You’re the highest paid this’ and, ‘just under Peyton Manning’ and all that type of stuff. That was never a focal point. That was never brought up once in the negotiation. I never wanted to be the highest-paid anything. I’m not that guy. I don’t care what the next man is getting. I just want it to be fair. This is a business, and everything is structured and branded a certain way. I think the reason that the number was so high is because of the whole hybrid thing – that I do play defensive end and linebacker. So I think that’s why it was so high. I think that’s where the extra little bit came from. But as far as the highest-paid anything, or second to Peyton Manning, that’s all just coincidence. You all know me. I would never say I want more money than Peyton Manning or anything like that. Like I said, I just wanted what was fair – what I felt that I’ve earned.”

Can you say in general the difference in you signing to stay here and LB Bart [Scott] signing to leave?
“I think it was just going to be hard to bring all three guys back, and we all knew that. You know, Bart – neither one of us is getting any younger – so we need to start thinking about the future and long term. And with me being the younger out of the three, it kind of worked in my favor there just a little bit. I think if Bart had a better opportunity to stay [in Baltimore] he would have. It was hands down – this is where we all got the foundation of our game from is in Baltimore. Bart was fortunate enough to leave with Rex [Ryan], so he was in a win-win situation – either I stay in Baltimore and be with a family that we’ve all grown to love or he went with Rex, who is a coach that we’ve all grown to love. So it was a win-win for Bart. I’m sure he wanted to stay just like I wanted to stay, but the lesser of two evils, he got to go with Rex.”

How do you explain the urgency [of getting the contract done] and what went right this year as opposed to last year?
“I think last year, the big debate was whether I was a linebacker or a defensive end. You all can clearly see that I feel I’m a defensive end. I even bulked up to show that I’m bigger than a linebacker – I’m a defensive end, I want to play defensive end. But they felt that I was a linebacker, because I was listed as a linebacker in the scheme, so it was just like they met us halfway and were like, ‘All right we’ll call him a hybrid and we’ll give him a little bit more [money] than a linebacker, but give him a little bit less than a defensive end.’ It ended up working out, and like I said, I think that’s why the numbers are like they are this year, because of that linebacker/defensive position. I think pretty much that’s what it was based on, because I do play both, so it was kind of like a hybrid number, somewhere in the middle.”

Was there ever a point during negotiations where you felt like a long-term deal was not going to get done?
“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have my doubts. I did have my doubts – I mean not my doubts – I was concerned. I was like, ‘All right, it’s the 14th [of July].’ But we were all on the phone all day yesterday and it was just like, you know, I mean what does it matter? It was little minor things here and there – and I think we both were like, ‘Would you really let something minor stop you from signing a long-term deal?’ That was it, so we just went in and got it done – we brought all of them in and involved, Pat Moriarty, Ozzie [Newsome] and my agent.”

Did you feel like the Ravens went the extra mile to get you signed? Did they show you that they really wanted you?
“Yeah. I think they did – especially [given] that we do have a salary cap. This isn’t baseball where you can just shell out a billion dollars to the best player. So, I think they did their best and now they made it the way so that they can sign some more guys and kind of keep the team together.”

Does a contract like this mean that you automatically become more of a leader both on and off the field?
“Well, we already have the vocal leader [in Ray Lewis] – that position is filled. I think mine is just falling in line, and I lead on the field just by playing and going the hardest every play.”

What are your thoughts on living up to and fulfilling the amount of the contract?
“Well, I’m going to continue to be the dominant player that I’ve always been. With me being 26, my best years are ahead of me, so I’m just looking forward to showing them that they didn’t make a mistake and that you’ve got the right guy.”

Did you always think in the back of your mind that you would remain a Raven for the long term?
“That never came to the back of my mind that they wouldn’t get it done. I mean, some people just fit the Raven identity, and I’m convinced – I’m pretty sure that I’m one of them. Some people, when they retire – like Dick Butkus and Walter Payton, they’ll always be Bears. Tom Brady will always be a Patriot. Ray Lewis, he’ll always be a Raven. I think this has given me the opportunity to solidify that I will always be a Raven.”

Given your respect for Ray Lewis, how does it feel to be the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history?
“Like I said, that happened merely on accident. Ray [Lewis] is hands down a Hall-of-Famer, and you know he’s probably the greatest ever to play the position. So, like I said, that happened merely on accident. I’m not sure if I’m a Hall of Famer yet, but I’m sure going to play to try to achieve that status. But until then, Ray is arguably the greatest linebacker ever to play the game. The fact that everybody is saying I’m the highest-paid linebacker, it’s merely by accident, and it’s also because I play defensive end, too. And as you already know, every year somebody gets a big deal, so in the next couple of years, don’t be surprised when you see the DeMarcus Wares start getting quarterback contracts and things like that.”

What was your general reaction to WR Derrick Mason announcing his retirement?
“I was shocked. Derrick is a warrior. But I can understand, because I know that he is going through a lot of things emotionally right now, especially with the loss of one of his great friends in Steve [McNair]. And he had to play all of last season with one shoulder and then have the shoulder surgery. At 35 years old you really start to put things into perspective. Either way it goes, I love ‘Mase.’ He’s a great teammate. You can’t say that about a lot of guys. He’s not selfish, not even in the least, and he’ll always look out for you. A guy like that is always great to have in the locker room. I don’t know if he decided to put his [retirement] papers in yet or whatever, but whatever he does, I stand by ‘Mase’ 100 percent. I would love to have him for another year, but only Derrick Mason knows what’s good for [him].”

Is your gut feeling that Derrick Mason will play for the Ravens in 2009?
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Like I said, I really would love to have Derrick back though – I really would love to. But like he said, ‘I just don’t love it anymore; I don’t want to do it anymore,’ I can respect that because all of our days are coming, and I wouldn’t want anyone to ask me to play if I was ready to hang it up.”

How important was it to be at training camp this year after missing all of it last year?
“Well, I don’t know. (laughing) The only thing about training camp is it brings you back closer with your teammates. You all get close again, you all become a team, you all go in there and run. So, last year I missed that, and it didn’t hurt me too bad – I don’t think. But it’s going to be good to finally get back in training camp in the hot summer days, with all the fans looking. It’s going to be interesting.”

Is it nice to have the contract situation over with after talking about it for a few years now?
“Yeah, because it robs the fans. They don’t understand the whole business side of it, and before last year I didn’t really understand it. But now I do, so it allows everyone involved to get back to football. That’s what really matters, is that we’re playing a game that we love and it’s just the business side of it that can really suck sometimes. It kept me out of training camp [last year], and a lot of the guys didn’t see me and the fans didn’t get to see me. So, it just allows the comeback.”

What kind of concessions did you make in order to get the contract done?
“It was just minor things. Just like years on the deal and money to be paid out, or like this portion of the time on the deal – just little things like that. You know, I’d rather not get into it, because we did all come to an agreement and now I’m [in Baltimore] for the better part of my career. Like I said, it keeps the fans, you know, a 10-year-old kid whose favorite team is the Ravens, who Terrell Suggs may be his favorite player and he doesn’t know why he’s not in camp, why he’s not practicing. He wants to see me line up and play because he just genuinely loves to see me play, and it’s kind of riding him for a contract dispute. I’ve never been a guy to go to the table or complain about my deal. I always thought I was a fair guy and they gave me what we all thought was fair.”




Head Coach John Harbaugh

The Ravens have a history of being very successful at keeping their best players. In your mind, what is behind that, and did you recognize that when you took the job?
“I don’t know if I can remember all that stuff now. I’m going to do my best. I guess the point is that it goes back to Ozzie [Newsome], and it goes back to, of course, Steve [Bisciotti] and Dick [Cass]. It’s been a tremendous organization. I think, first of all, players want to be here, and even the guys who leave here leave here with some regret. They were hoping to stay and be a part of it. And I know that Terrell [Suggs] wanted to be a part of it. He’s said that ever since I’ve been here. He’s told me that, and he’s said that publicly. He just wanted to be able to work out the kind of deal that could secure his future in the way he was hoping to do that. Ozzie’s done a great job of recognizing, as much as anything, also the guy that gives us the best chance to move forward and be the best team we can be. Sometimes there are a lot of good players that have been forced to leave, and that’s because you can’t sign them all. When you draft the way Ozzie drafts, you’re going to lose some guys over time that are going to go elsewhere and be successful and all that kind of stuff. I think it’s a matter of Ozzie drafting well, evaluating his team well, and then understanding the cap and setting it up where he… You know, you can sign one guy, but then maybe the next guy you can’t sign. So Ozzie understands the next contracts that are coming up and factors that into the one he’s working on at the time.”

Suggs mentioned that this contract solidifies how he fits into the Ravens’ mentality. From your viewpoint, how does he fit into the Ravens’ identity?
“First of all, he’s a great guy. You guys have been around him; you know he’s a heck of a guy. He’s kind of flamboyant in his personality. We tell the guys all the time, ‘Let your personality show. Be who you are.’ He loves football, he’s got a tremendous work ethic, and he plays really hard. He studies the game along with guys like Ed [Reed] and Ray [Lewis]. He’s really into the preparation part of it. He’s a Raven, he plays like a Raven. To me, he’s a core foundation building block for what we’re going to try to do for the next few years.”

This is a two-part question: How critical is it that Suggs is going to be at camp to be around defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, and also, have you had a chance to reach out to Derrick Mason? What are your thoughts on his surprising announcement earlier this week?
“As far as ‘Sizzle,’ being in training camp is something that I know he wanted to do. If he had his druthers, he’d have been here for the whole offseason program. As a matter of fact, he’s committed to me on a number of occasions that when this thing is done, he’ll be a leader in every part of our program – offseason, training camp, every part of it. Matter of fact, he said he’s moving to Baltimore as soon as he can, once he gets this thing done. So, he’s the kind of guy that really wants to work on football, and I think he understands that by being with Greg Mattison, being with his coaches, being with his teammates through the entirety of the program is going to give him the chance to take the next step as a player. Just because you sign one of these mega deals, I think he understands it doesn’t mean that you’ve arrived as a player. And a lot of what we’ve done in signing ‘Sizzle’ to this, is we’re anticipating the player he’s going to be over the course of the next six years. That’s really what you’re investing in: What do we think he’s going to be? I’ve got a lot of confidence in Greg Mattison, and I know ‘Sizzle’ has a lot of confidence in Greg Mattison as both coordinator and now his position coach, to help him even take it to another level as far as being a pass-rusher, as far as understanding the defense, being multiple in everything he does. He’s already a good run player, of course, and even the drop stuff, it’s all stuff he can improve on. Getting a full training camp is going to give him a chance to do that.

“As far as Derrick, I had a chance to reach out, at least in an informal way through texts and things like that, and we have an appointment to talk here real soon, either by phone or when I get back next week. It’ll be interesting to see where he’s at with everything. I know he’s gone through a lot in the last couple weeks with Steve’s [McNair] situation and those kinds of things. But I’m looking forward to talking to him.”

After losing Bart Scott, how helpful is it to have Terrell with the other linebackers ready to go by Day One of camp?
“That’s a great point. Heck, we’re looking forward to seeing all four linebackers out there together now for the first time, really, in any offseason program since we’ve been here. You’ve got Ray, you’ve got a battle going on for the other inside linebacker spot, of course Jarret [Johnson], and now Suggs will be out there for Day One working together. The system has been tweaked a little bit, and there is some new stuff for him to learn. I know he and Greg have been communicating regularly, and he’s been doing some tests and things like that, so he’s on top of the mental part of it. But, there’s nothing like getting those guys out there together and practicing together and competing together. Plus, the other thing I’m excited about is his personality being out there from early on in training camp. He’s a guy that perks up the whole practice field, so it will be fun to have him out there. I know the fans will enjoy seeing him out there early on, too, because he’s definitely a barrel of laughs at practice. He works hard, and he enjoys doing it.”

Will you wait until after you talk to Derrick, or will you maybe start to look at who’s available as far as receivers go?
“We’ve been in the process of doing that. We’ve said this many times, and receiver is no exception: We’re always looking at every available player that’s out there. Vince Newsome does a great job of keeping a thumb on all those guys. We know who’s out there at every single position, and we’re always working the roster. So, obviously if Derrick does retire, that’s going to perk us up even more as far as strengthening that position like we will any position. But, you can only do so much. There are only so many guys out there available, and a lot of what we do is developing the players that we have, and we think we have good players here, too. I just think there’s a lot of time to go between now and when training camp starts, and of course between now and when the season starts. Derrick Mason is a warrior, he’s a tremendous family man, and he’s got good relationships with everybody inside the building. I’m just looking forward to seeing how this goes.”

Were you surprised at how the news with Derrick broke, with it breaking on the Internet after he had reportedly been at the complex earlier that day?
“I try not to get into being surprised or not surprised, or put any values on it like that. As it presents itself, that’s what it is. Without having had a chance to get into any kind of in-depth conversation with him, I’m not exactly sure what his thoughts are on it. But, obviously he’s got some things he’s going through and thinking about and considering. But, this is the offseason, and this is a break where we get away and we give our guys the chance to really get themselves mentally prepared, and Derrick Mason is the kind of guy that if he is going to be on board, he’s going to be on board 100-percent-plus. He’s going to be doing all the things that great players do, because you don’t become a great player, and I think one of the premiere receivers in the game by far, without being committed to excellence. To me, getting mentally ready is part of that. To whatever extent this is part of that process, I don’t know exactly where he’s at with it, but I know if he decides to come back, he will be completely and totally committed and ready to go. And that’s what we’re thinking about. And if not, then we’ll move on as a football team, and we’ll still be the very best football team we can be. We don’t think that’s going to be… We think we’re going to be a heck of a football team.”

Concluding statement:
“I want to know where all these [reporters] are calling from. Are they all sitting around there, or do we have guys on beaches with cold drinks in front of them right now? Who are the guys who are there who obviously have no life? (laughing) We’ll be going hard here in a couple weeks, fellas. It won’t be long. I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks for the first press conference. We’re going to have a lot of fun. We’re going to get after it. We’re going to have the best training camp in the history of the NFL. You guys will be there to document it.”

McNair worked on his own clock

Steve McNair had nothing left in him.
Like any superstar at the tail end of his career, the 13-year NFL quarterback didn’t feel like being told he was done.
The King of Comebacks was meandering through the second half of the 2007 season with a litany of injuries he would have shrugged off in the early stages of his career. His passes were falling woefully short and he couldn’t hang onto the ball to save his life.
Four days after a 38-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Nov. 6, McNair was ready for the Baltimore media. He heard all the scuttlebutt and swore up and down that he was still the same man who shared the NFL MVP award with Peyton Manning four years prior. The two fumbles and the interception he threw against Pittsburgh were merely a mirage, he said.
“Look what kind career I’ve had,” he said two days after that loss in which he completed just 13 passes for 63 yards. “I don’t let people tell me, outside this organization, I’m not capable of playing or I don’t need to be playing. For what? They ain’t never played the position of the quarterback. They never go through the things I go through — mentally or physically. How are you going to tell me I’m not able to play? I know what my body can do. My teammates know what my body can do, and I know what I can on the field.”
Four days after his rant, McNair took the field for the last time in his career against the Cincinnati Bengals., “Air McNair” was officially grounded after he suffered a shoulder dislocation during the 21-7 home loss.
“This is probably the lowest point in my career that I’ve had… What do I need to do about it? I don’t know,” he said in the team’s locker room afterward. “I’m trying to play hard to help this team, but it’s just not there. I don’t know what it is.”
It was so strange to see a man go from defiant to defeated in just days. It was like an addict passing through denial and reaching the acceptance stage. It was sad. Yet, he stood there taking a barrage of questions from reporters.
He spent 13 years dodging 300-pound monsters. Laptop jockeys were nothing.
The next several weeks saw McNair benched because of the injury. Then, in early December, he was placed on injured reserve.
The media rarely, if ever, saw McNair in the team’s Owings Mills facility following his injury. The team had pretty much considered the remainder of the season a wash anyway. They would lose in the ensuing weeks to the previously winless Miami Dolphins in overtime and then finish 5-11 for the year.
Coach Brian Billick was fired just days after the final game of the season and uncertainty set in for the Ravens. Could the team really bring back McNair for another season? Few inside the organization were really comfortable with Kyle Boller and Troy Smith as the quarterback in 2008.
Many still believed McNair was closer to his 2006 season than his 2007. In his first year with the team, he led the Ravens to a 13-3 regular season that included an AFC North title. They were two games removed from the Super Bowl largely because of McNair.
Even if the Ravens drafted a quarterback in April of 2008, the team was ready for McNair to return.
So, he returned to the team’s facility and began workouts. His desire, he said, was still there.
Quickly, though, he discovered his body was not as willing. Less than two weeks before the draft, McNair approached team officials and told them he was going to retire.
True to his word, he determined when he couldn’t play anymore.
After his April 2008 retirement, McNair quietly traveled back down south to Mississippi and Nashville, where he played for 11 seasons. The Ravens drafted Joe Flacco and McNair was quickly forgotten.
He was a quiet guy here in Baltimore, speaking basically twice a week to the media- Wednesdays and post-game.
McNair had friends on the team like Ray Lewis, Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle, but there was always the feeling he was just passing by. What we saw of him was pretty surface oriented.
Through it all, he was cordial.
It was clear he never belonged to Baltimore. He was merely on loan from Tennessee.
The salacious details of his July 4 death will undoubtedly be picked apart by people who never watched him play a down of football. That’s fine. It’s human nature to stop and watch the remains of a car wreck.
I’m not sure if I have much interest in hearing about it all, however. What matters is that a father is dead. Children who watched their father orchestrate the impossible for years are left knowing he’s never coming back.
That’s a brutal reality.
Whether he was a good man or a bad one will be discussed ad nauseam.
As fans of the game of football, we have endless amounts of McNair highlights to watch. We only really knew the football player. Man, was he great.

Skins, Ravens still have long way to go in offseason

How can you look at the Baltimore Ravens and not think the future is bright?

The answer: Very easily.

How can you look at the Redskins' signings yesterday and not get excited?

Again, very easily.

Here's how:

THE RAVENS


People in Baltimore have every right to be proud of what happened during the 2008 season. Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco surpassed all expectations and became a quiet leader on the field who learned to minimize his mistakes. A year after going 5-11, the Ravens made the AFC Championship with a mix of old and new players under rookie coach John Harbaugh.



The key in all of that? The Ravens went 11-5 with the schedule of a team that went 5-11 the year before. Take a look at the last five seasons for the team.

2008: 11-5

2007: 5-11

2006: 13-3

2005: 6-10

2004: 9-7


There's a specific trend there. The Ravens have the DNA of a team that says they can take advantage of weak schedules but are mediocre enough to fail when given the chance.

Teams like the Patriots, Steelers and Colts churn out impressive regular seasons year after year, despite tough schedules. The Ravens don't have the talent to do that. They have some of the best individual players in the game, but there is too much disparity.

On top of that, the team stands to lose many of the players who helped make the 2008 season a success. Jason Brown has already signed with the St. Louis Rams and Bart Scott with the Jets. Brown was arguably the team's MVP the last two seasons, holding the offensive line together with his physical and emotional leadership.

Safety and kick returner Jim Leonhard could be joining Scott in New York as well. Leonhard returned kicks when it became clear that speedster Yamon Figurs possessed no ability to adjust on the field. He made things happen and was a glue guy.

Throw in the fact that Ray Lewis, the face of the franchise, is considering leaving the team and you leave a crater-sized hole that is hard to quantify. Nevermind that you cut your best cornerback, Chris McAlister, and are likely parting ways with Samari Rolle as well.

People can write off the potential loss of Matt Stover because his leg strength is limited, but go ahead and name a more consistent kicker in the NFL and then see if he's available. Stover has won too many games for the team.

There isn't enough depth on the Ravens to compensate for those losses or, more importantly, to play up to an 11-5 schedule that will include the Colts and Patriots in addition to the Super Bowl champion Steelers twice.

Here's where I could be wrong: the Ravens have a still-new coach in Harbaugh. The up-and-down nature of the Ravens happened under Brian Billick's watch. Last season saw the Ravens compensate for the lack of offensive playmakers with coordinator Cam Cameron's genius. He obscured weaknesses and immaturity with his playcalling.

Can they really do that again? History says no.


THE REDSKINS

The headlines yesterday were hilarious: Redskins win offseason. Again.

So much has been made, and rightfully so, of the team's habit of throwing cash at the biggest names available. They make it rain so much, Pacman Jones gets jealous.

So, the team went out and re-signed DeAngelo Hall (six years, $55 million) and nabbed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (7 years, $100 million) and guard Derrick Dockery (five years, $26.5 million). This seems like an annual rite of February for the Skins to attract the biggest free agents on the market and then put together a team that lacks any cohesion in September.




Fans want to get excited when they see the biggest stars in the NFL sign with their team. But, I think Redskins followers are souring on the whole enterprise. They've seen this movie too much and it ends with the team going off the cliff Thelma and Louise style.

The focus on the defensive side of the ball with the signings of Haynesworth and Hall is a bit puzzling. Granted, there are no show-stopping offensive players available right now, but the Redskins desperately need a playmaker to lighten Clinton Portis' load. Santana Moss and tight end Chris Cooley are the lone receiving threats on the team and the opposition knows this.

While Dockery answers one offensive line question, it's only a small piece. Tackle Jon Jansen puts in more time in front of the cameras than the field these days. Quarterback Jason Campbell is not a terrific decision-maker and saw too much pressure as the 2008 unfolded.

He shined early in the season, but as his line began to thin, his numbers dropped. His leadership ability is questionable as well.

When he drops back to pass, he knows there are two legitimate options in Moss and Cooley. Does anyone seriously think James Thrash is getting the ball or that Antwaan Randle-El is going to catch it?

There's just too many questions to think the Redskins will be anything other than 8-8 or 9-7 again. You can't continue to cover up your problems with flashy press conferences.

It's clear to me the Redskins aren't concerned with winning as an organization. They're more focused on selling jerseys and merchandise while giving off the perception they are doing everything in their power to win. If they do make the playoffs, it takes an end-of-the-season run that almost seems like a mistake.

That's not good for a sustainable product.

What Ray Lewis is thinking right now

The rumble begins. The crowd of more than 70,000 moves about anxiously in anticipation. The first notes of Nelly's "Hot in Herre" start to play.

Then, in a moment where man achieves close to god-like status, Ray Lewis emerges from the tunnel of M&T Bank Stadium. He leans down to pick up some grass and throws it in the air and begins to gyrate in a herky-jerky way that would be an assault on the word dancing in any other venue. In Baltimore, however, Lewis owns the fans and they are now worked up in a frenzy.

The sheer intensity on his face and the physicality of his body elevate him to something more than man.

For most of his 13 years in professional football, Ray Lewis has been hoisted above all others. It has been that way for most of his life because his talent has dictated special treatment. He's a once in a generation figure.

Or was one.

Friday, the first day of National Football League free agency, began with Lewis sitting on the sideline. The Ravens, after unsuccessfully negotiating with Lewis for the better part of the last year, were unable to keep from becoming a free agent for the first time.

Younger, less proven, players collected paychecks that neared $100 million. Lewis, a Pro Bowler this past season for the 10th time, spent the day determined to show the Baltimore Ravens they undervalue him.

Therein lies the rub. No team in any sport has valued or marketed one player better than the Ravens have Ray Lewis. It's not even close actually. Despite his enormous talents, most teams would have bailed on Lewis when he was charged with murder in 2000. While the charges were later dropped for an obstruction of justice plea, he has carried the stink of that January Atlanta night to this day.

Rather than shying away from Lewis since he returned to the club, the Ravens brightened the spotlight on him. They played up the pre-game dance that bonded Lewis and Baltimore and marketed him as a transformational leader both on and off the field. It's stunning when you think about it.

Ray emerged from the Atlanta with a distrusting chip on his shoulder that fit right in with Charm City, a town that perpetually sports a me-against-the-world attitude.

The Ravens rewarded him, after he willed the team to a Super Bowl win in 2001, with a contract that made him the highest paid defensive player in the game. It could be argued that he was a bigger star than Cal Ripken. Where Ripken might have looked a little reluctant with the adulation thrust upon him, Lewis sought out the nearest camera to intimidate.

Although no one will admit it, the 2000 incident only added to his over-the-top persona. In the back of people's minds, there always the question, just what is this guy capable of doing to another person? His bone-crushing hits make it seem like he was a mistreated lion unleashed from his cage and hungry for blood. He will demolish anything in sight.

That's what he has been doing for most his career: seeking and destroying.

One of the dangers in being a god in human form, however, is that your humanity will be exposed when the fall happens. The Ravens have tried to play the balancing act in recent years, knowing that at some point Lewis' body won't match his mind. it happens to all players, as Ravens coach John Harbaugh once told me. You just don't know when. You wake up one morning and the motor is slower.

The team has been trying to, and failing, diminish Lewis' leadership role for the last three or four years. He's just too marketable and too good on the field to commit to it. And, Lewis' ego would never permit it. If you've ever seen the movie Boogie Nights, there's a scene where Dirk Diggler is being interviewed for a documentary and he talks about himself in almost superhuman terms. He's disconnected form reality.

Lewis has been on top so long that no one is going to tell him the end is in sight. He believes he's the best and should be paid like it. He's never been able to test the market before. The fact that the Ravens have "low-balled" him with their offers disturbs him.

He looks at him and says, "Oh yeah? Well the girl down the street totally digs me."

Then, the Cowboys don't call. Neither do the Jets. Suddenly, he's sitting alone at home saying "I'm a star, I'm a star, I'm a star. I'm a big bright shining star."

Inside, though, this is a crushing blow. He feels like he has given the Ravens more than they have to him. He, as reports are saying, doesn't want to walk back to the Ravens a humbled man. If the offer isn't out there, don't be surprised if he simply retires from football, saying the old tired refrain of "there's nothing left to prove."

That would be a sad, but somehow fitting, end to the Ravens-Ray Lewis relationship.