The Baltimore Ravens' inactivity on the Ed Reed front seemed to speak volumes. There were reports of an amazing trip to Houston, and the Ravens looked out of the picture.
Apparently not.
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome plans to sit down with Reed's agent, David Dunn, at the NFL Annual Meeting this week and make an offer to keep the future Hall of Fame safety. He believes Reed will make a decision this week.
"Four years ago, we went down this same road with Ray (Lewis)," Newsome told USA Today's Jarrett Bell. "Dave always does a very good job of keeping us in the loop. That doesn't mean Ed will come back, and it doesn't mean that he will leave."
Newsome wouldn't hint at what the offer will be after Reed made $7.2 million last season. He should be a priority with the loss of Lewis, Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe, Bernard Pollard and Cary Williams.
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"I've learned through the years, whether it's on offense or defense or special teams, you've got to be careful for how quickly you transition," Newsome said. "You've got to make sure that you contain certain elements, while you let other elements go."
Reed seemed to be in the let-go category a couple of weeks ago. Now it sounds like Newsome will push to keep the nine-time Pro Bowl selection.
Whether you agree with the Ravens' decisions or not, Newsome has played this offseason pretty cool, including the signings of Chris Canty and Marcus Spears. And he does have a pretty good track record.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
