It wouldn't be spring if Ed Reed wasn't jockeying for a new long-term contract, and I hope he gets one, but his radio comments the other night were way over the top. He's been treated like one of the minor Greek gods around here for a long time, and somebody needs to remind him that he signed that contract that he now considers disrespectful.

I know, I know. This is just the way things are done in the NFL. The players grab for any leverage they can get. Reed is using his well-earned reputation as one of the greatest safeties in the history of the league to try and get the Ravens to pony up several more years at a heavy price. We know that because he is using Peyton Manning's giant new deal with the Broncos to bolster his argument.

There's no question that he'll still be a premier player next season, but he needs to be a little more realistic. He's coming off a difficult season in which his interception total was way down and he had problems making tackles at the end of the season because of his neck issues. And, let's be honest, it's going to be hard for Ozzie Newsome and Steve Bisciotti to justify making him one of the highest-paid players in the sport when he probably was the fifth-best player on the Ravens defense last year.

Ouch, that's not going to go over well, but it's true.