Ed Reed

If you're trying to figure out exactly what motivated all-time Ravens safety Ed Reed to jump off the Super Bowl bandwagon and sign with the Houston Texans, you should probably consider some other hobby. Figuring out what makes Reed tick could be a lifelong quest. He's a complicated guy who doesn't fit easily into anyone's preconceived notions about the inner workings of professional football players or, for that matter, superstar athletes of any stripe. What we do know is that Reed will always be remembered as one of the greatest safeties of all time and he'll eventually see his name gracing a façade at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ed Reed era is officially over in Baltimore, though the safety will always be considered one of the greatest Ravens players of all-time -- and arguably the most entertaining, as my colleague Childs Walker wrote today. In this excellent piece on Reed , Childs explained why he can't help but feel a little sadness now that Reed has joined the Houston Texans, because, in his words, Reed didn't want to just be “ordinary great.” Reed did it his way, especially when he had the ball in his hands -- a common occurrence -- making him fun for us to cover.

Sportswriters inevitably get the question: How do you cover teams you once loved as a fan? The standard answer is that you stop rooting for the jersey and start rooting for the best story. That's true to a point but incomplete. It's near impossible to cover a team and not become fascinated with some of the individual personalities. You don't exactly root for them, but you are drawn to them. And that brings me to Ed Reed and his departure from Baltimore after 11 mesmerizing, mystical, confounding and deeply entertaining seasons.

April 20, 2002 : A season removed from winning their first Super Bowl, the Ravens take Reed, a play-making free safety out of the University of Miami, with the 24th pick in the 2002 Draft. Then minority owner Steve Bisciotti wanted University of Florida cornerback Lito Sheppard, but General Manager Ozzie Newsome stuck to his draft board. Sept. 30, 2002: In a 34-23 home victory over the Denver Broncos, Reed picked off Brian Griese for his first career interception and also blocked the first punt in Ravens' history.

How are reporters and editors view Ed Reed signing with the Houston Texans: Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens reporter: It is obviously a sad day for Ravens' fans and for good reason. Reed is one of the best players in franchise history and a sure bet Hall of Famer. For more than a decade, he has not only been one of the best Ravens but he's been one of the most entertaining to watch. But the Ravens' offseason blueprint has been clear and quite  frankly, Reed, who turns 35 in September and who struggled last season, doesn't fit into that going forward.

For so long, they had been the two faces of one of the league's most dominant defenses, Ray Lewis the punishing tackler and Ed Reed the unrelenting ball hawk. Now, they are both gone and the mass exodus from the Ravens defense continues. About six weeks after Lewis retired following his last game as a Raven, Reed moved closer to signing a two-year deal with the Houston Texans, who aggressively pursued the 34-year-old safety over the last week. Terms of the deal aren't known and there are still a few things that have to be worked out, but it's clear that Reed and the organization that he had played with for the last 11 years have parted ways.

I sat down with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti today at the league meetings and we discussed a variety of topics. The Q&A will be on our site momentarily. However, since I've been getting the most questions about his thoughts on free agent safety Ed Reed, I figured I'd put up his comments that just related to that topic. They are below: Where are things at with free agent safety Ed Reed and would it be tough to lose Reed and Ray Lewis the same offseason? Bisciotti: " I don't think the same offseason matters much.

Ed Reed sure seems to be serious about exploring his options on the open market. As I write this, the free-agent safety is in Houston, where the Texans have rolled out the red carpet for the likely future Hall-of-Famer. They scooped him up in a private jet and scurried him to Reliant Stadium, where he was greeted by video cameras, microphones and a group of Houston media. Surely, Reed feels wanted right now. And surely, that means something to the 34-year-old, who has always had a sizable chip on his shoulder.

It's not all bad news for the Ravens on the first day of free agency. Despite trading receiver Anquan Boldin on Monday and then losing linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe on Tuesday, the Ravens still might have a shot at retaining safety Ed Reed and offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie. Free agency is basically a young man's game, and the big names usually sign during the first couple of days when the market opens. So far, the interest has been lukewarm for McKinnie and Reed.

Try to imagine the Ravens defense next season without Ray Lewis. Now try to imagine it without Ed Reed, too. No, I can't do it, either. One thing's for sure: the Ravens are at a delicate point in their long relationship with the moody free safety with NFL free agency starting Tuesday. The man is bound for the Hall of Fame and he's been the ultimate team player and community do-gooder for the Ravens. So they don't want to tick him off with a ridiculously low offer. But with his age (34)