Ravens safety Ed Reed continues to act like a guy who may not show up for work without a new contract.
After his musings about retirement went nowhere earlier this year, Reed boycotted the team’s mandatory minicamp. The Ravens have, by all appearances, yet to show any willingness to extend Reed’s contract, which expires after the coming season.
Now, Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun points out that Reed has sent a message to the team, Twitter style.
Back home with my son, he's riding his bike an I'm doing yard work! Tell the bosses I'm comfortable! pic.twitter.com/fhs4fQBu
— Ed Reed (@TwentyER) July 7, 2012
The Ravens need Reed now more than ever, given the torn Achilles’ tendon suffered by linebacker Terrell Suggs during the offseason. And so Reed likely thinks the team eventually will realize that, and extend a contract that will pay him a base salary of $7.2 million in 2012.
Though no one seriously expects Reed to not play football when the time comes to show up for training camp, he seems to be serious about taking a stand.
It’s hard to blame him. This could be Reed’s last chance to get paid, and with the Ravens hoping to push through to the Super Bowl without Suggs for all or a big part of the season, not having Reed would hurt more this year than it ever would have hurt before.
What’s that, you say? The Ravens don’t have the cap space to sign Reed over the long haul?
For starters, a long-term deal could actually cut his cap number. Second, any team that needs to create cap space can create cap space, if the team really wants to create cap space.
So use your leverage, Ed. You may never have it again.