Bisciotti's Gut Says: 'We Have Reed'
Sitting in the brutal heat of the Phoenix desert, NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano asked Steve Bisciotti what his gut told him about whether the team could retain safety Ed Reed.
The Ravens owner paused, glanced down and took a deep breath.
"Uuuh … that we have him," Bisciotti said with a grin.
"You do?" asked Siciliano.
"Mmm-hmm," Bisciotti confirmed.
"Do we have breaking news?" Siciliano asked.
"No, Ozzie [Newsome, general manager] just likes to spend my money," Bisciotti said, drawing laughter from the reporter.
Bisciotti didn't provide any more details behind his gut feeling, but things don't seem to be progressing with the Texans, whom Reed visited last week.
Texans brass and Reed's agent met again this week in Phoenix, but “neither side has budged,” according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. McClain added they are “not close” to a deal with the Texans offering a little more than $4 million a year and Reed looking for something in the $6-7 million range.
Reed's agent is now checking with other clubs to see how much interest they have, reported McClain. The 49ers and Patriots reportedly have a desire to bring Reed in for a visit.
"If Reed is only going to sign a contract that pays him around the same amount he made last year — $7.2 million — he could be waiting a while to wind up on a team for the 2013 season," wrote ProFootballTalk.com's Josh Alper. "If that's the case, the Texans and Ravens might both move on to other safety options and leave Reed with even less appealing offers if he's going to keep his career going."
As Bisciotti's comments indicate, the Ravens have not moved on yet, and are still hopeful, but they also won't leave themselves in a vulnerable position. It appears they are already working on a contingency plan with former Raiders safety Michael Huff.
The team plans to meet with Huff in the next five days, according to The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson.
Bisciotti Raw: Flacco's Pound-On-Desk Comment
A classic, light-hearted moment after the Super Bowl was when MVP Joe Flacco was on set with the NFL Network.
Flacco relayed to the broadcasting crew that Owner Steve Bisciotti said if he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory, he could "pound on his desk and really stick it to him."
"And I said, 'That's exactly what I'm going to do,'" Flacco remarked, causing Deion Sanders and the other analysts to crack up hysterically.
A few weeks later, Bisciotti made Flacco the highest paid quarterback in NFL history.
The NFL Network played the pound-on-his-desk-and-stick-it-to-him clip for Bisciotti at the owners meeting to get his raw reaction.
Priceless.
Denver Makes Dumervil Offer; Ravens Have Back-Up Options
It appears the Broncos have gotten over the shock and anger of Elvis Dumervil and his agent's fax mistake – at least enough to make him another offer.
The Broncos have resumed negotiations with Dumervil, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
"We’ve offered Elvis a contract," Broncos executive John Elway told the paper. "We'd like to have Elvis back."
Elway didn't get into details about the proposal, but Klis believes it would be three years in length for "considerably less" than $30 million, the value of the original deal that didn't get faxed in on time.
Klis reported yesterday that the Ravens were also in negotiations with Dumervil; Baltimore's price range is unknown.
The Ravens are interested in adding a veteran pass rusher, as Head Coach John Harbaugh confirmed yesterday, and Dumervil may head the list.
"Ideally, the Ravens would like to land Elvis Dumervil," wrote CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora. "Dumervil is the Ravens' top target of the available free agents, according to league sources. But the team remains in a tight cap bind and there are concerns he might not fit in their parameters."
If things don't work out with Dumervil, Harbaugh mentioned the team is monitoring other talented players, including Dwight Freeney, Osi Umenyiora and James Harrison.
Pre-Draft Power Rankings
Why publish an NFL power rankings list in March, you ask? When rosters are nowhere near complete?
Because A LOT of people click and read.
Thus, ESPN delivers.
And just over a month removed from winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens are only eighth on the website's pre-draft rankings.
"The bad news for Baltimore is this: Many of the players who made the team's thrilling playoff run possible are no longer on the roster," ESPN staff wrote. "Sure, QB Joe Flacco signed a long-term contract, but that wasn't enough to keep our voters from holding the champs down (No. 8) in our offseason hierarchy."
So who is the best team as it stands today?
Drum roll … the Seattle Seahawks … because of their "late 2012 surge and splashy free-agent signings." The 49ers, Broncos, Falcons and Patriots round out the top 5.
Baltimore is ranked the highest among all AFC North teams, followed by the Bengals (No. 10), Steelers (No. 16) and Browns (No. 25).
Harbaugh Brothers Reunite For First Time
ProFootballTalk.com scored the first televised interview with the Harbaugh brothers since February.
It was fun to see Jim and John together again after the Ravens beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
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Quick Hit
- The league is considering holding a draft in Honolulu when players arrive for the Pro Bowl. Instead of splitting the teams into the AFC and NFC, two captains would choose their teams. The measure's aim is to drum up excitement for an All Star game that is losing popularity. [NFL.com]
- @RavensInsider: Anquan Boldin is set to take his 49ers physical on Wednesday, per a league source. That's required to finalize* *trade with Ravens [Twitter]
- Torrey Smith on Anquan Boldin trade: 'I will elevate my game' [The Baltimore Sun]
- @Ravens: John Harbaugh said he wasn't thrilled about Jacoby Jones going on #DWTS. But he was better with it once he met @Karina_Smirnoff [Twitter]
- @jeffzrebiecsun: No real update on NFL regular season opener situation. The good news is the sides are talking and trying to work it out. [Twitter]
- @AlbertBreer: What's lost in the arguing ... If the NFL and the Ravens, and MLB and the Orioles can work this out, what a cool day it'd be for Baltimore. [Twitter]
- @RavensInsider: Chris Canty on Ed Reed: 'I've got my eye on that situation. I'm holding out hope he's going to stick around and be a Baltimore Raven.' [Twitter]
- @jeffzrebiecsun: Like Bisciotti yest., Harbaugh talked about locking a couple of their players up early w/extensions. Pitta and Oher most likely candidates [Twitter]
- @RavensInsider: Marcus Spears' two-year deal worth $2.75 million: $600,000 bonus, $900,000 and $1.25 million base salaries. Up to $1 million incentives 2013 [Twitter]
