Getty Ed Reed celebrates with Baltimore fans.
The Baltimore Ravens have a great alumni base and the team arguably does more to connect with them than any other franchise in the league.
That continued this week as the squad welcomed back Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. Reed joined the team’s virtual meeting over the internet and shared some advice on how he thinks the squad should be handling the current lay of the land across the league. As he said, staying focused and keeping on the grind will be a huge goal for every team, but those who stay committed will be the winners in the end.
“Understand what you can be doing right now to better your craft.”
The 🐐 dropped into virtual team meeting. @TwentyER dropping knowledge as always.
Reed said:
“We’re living in different times. You gotta make sure you’re taking care of your family but also yourself. Make sure you’re training as hard as possible to get yourself in tip top shape. Everybody’s in the same situation. Everybody’s going to start at 0. It’s going to be about who was focused more,” he admitted. “Understand what you have to do in order to better your craft. Become Bruce Lee. Become a master of your technique. Make sure you’re ready to go and do your job.”
As he also said, the team sticking together is a huge advantage at this point in time, and it’s something Reed sees the squad doing.
“I was always about making sure we were connected. You guys stay connected. That’s what it’s about,” he said. “That’s what’s going to separate who’s holding up that Lombardi Trophy. Who’s going to be holding that trophy at the end of this year, it’s going to be about who’s connected right now because that’s going to carry y’all.”
Reed also said the team should focus more on the divisional opponents, which is great advice considering how regularly the sides meet. All told, the team likely learned a lot from listening to Reed’s wise words.
Ed Reed Statistics
During his career with Baltimore, Reed was simply one of the best defenders in the entire league regularly. He put up 9 Pro Bowls, was a 6 time All-Pro and a Super Bowl champion. Reed put up 643 tackles, 64 interceptions and 9 defensive touchdowns. Nearly immediately upon his retirement, Reed was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was a fitting tribute for how well his career went in the league. Upon retirement, Reed has been hired as the University of Miami football’s Chief of Staff.
Ravens Legends Also Join Team Meetings
Recently, the Ravens invited a couple of other legends in Ray Lewis and Eric Weddle to crash their team meetings. The idea? To keep the camaraderie between teams and share the importance and impact of being a member of the team. It’s a mentality referred to as “Play Like a Raven” which has been passed down from generation to generation.
Heres an explanation of the team’s thinking:
.@weddlesbeard and @raylewis have dropped into Ravens’ virtual meetings:
Baltimore cornerback Iman Marshall was clearly impressed with the visits, even tweeting his thanks to Weddle for joining the team.
Thank you Eric Weddle @weddlesbeard for taking the time out of your schedule to lace us with your experience and wealth of knowledge. The information you shared was informative. A true pro and inspiration. #futureHOF!
#Flockforever!
Things like this are a good reason why the Ravens have a proud franchise that is capable of maintaining one of the best winning cultures in the league.
Ravens Named Potential Next NFL Dynasty
Many see the Ravens as the next potential NFL dynasty in the making, and that’s due to how they have put together their roster and built things up for the future. Recently, NFL.com writer Adam Schein took time in a piece to identify the next potential dynasties in the league. The Ravens were the No. 2 choice.
Schein wrote:
“I firmly believe Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has assembled the NFL’s best roster, 1-53. April’s draft was another masterclass from the Baltimore brass. First-round pick Patrick Queen is the next star linebacker in Baltimore. Second-rounder J.K. Dobbins was put on Earth to run the ball for the Ravens. Baltimore’s depth chart, on both sides of the ball, is overflowing with talent. Of course, no one’s more enticing than the reigning league MVP.
Lamar Jackson is as special as they come. His improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 was staggering. What happens if he takes another massive step forward this fall? Do the Ravens possess a legitimate cheat code??
Baltimore has a fantastic coach in John Harbaugh — and inherently, the team boasts a stellar culture. They scout and develop and think and plan better than your team. The offense is a terrifying mix of speed and creativity. The defense is strong and consistent. Same with special teams. This organization has everything in place to serve as Kansas City’s main foil for years to come. What a series of AFC title games we could have in store!”
The Ravens and Chiefs will do battle next season during the year, and it’s true that could become the next big rivalry to monitor in the AFC for the future. Last season, Baltimore didn’t hold up their end of the bargain in making the title game possible, but that could change moving forward in the future, making for some fantastic battles.
From top to bottom, the Ravens theoretically have the coach, the quarterback, the roster and the front office in order to sustain success. Now, the only thing they will have to do is go out and prove this can be the case.
Reed getting them the right mindset might help that in a big way.
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