The story of the Baltimore Ravens' offseason comes down to a laundry list of veteran players walking out the door. It was believed the team would not allow Ed Reed to get away, but that might not be the case.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday the Ravens are "very pessimistic" about the prospects of re-signing the 34-year-old safety, according to sources familiar with the team's thinking.
The Baltimore Sun reported this week that the Houston Texans offered Reed a three-year, $12 million contract, which the Ravens don't appear willing to match at this stage. Rapoport reported Wednesday that Reed will have to take less money than the Texans have offered if he wants to return to the Ravens.
That doesn't mean Reed is a lock for the Lone Star State. The Sun reported Tuesday that Reed is seeking money close to the $7.2 million he made in Baltimore this past season, but nobody's going to pay him anywhere close to that, meaning this could drag on for some time.
The expectation was that a deal for Reed -- from the Ravens or Texans -- likely was to come together at this week's NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix. Instead, the Ravens reportedly have set up a visit with Michael Huff. The former Oakland Raiders safety is no match for Reed, but he's four years younger and would come a lot cheaper.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.