Reed isn't sure if he'll be ready to play in opener

WESTMINSTER -- Although he returned to practice on Saturday, the status of Ravens safety Ed Reed remains up in the air.

Reed has a problem with his shoulder that kept him out of action the first two weeks of training camp. It has been described as a strength and nerve issue.

He was allowed to return to practice on Saturday, but is wearing a red jersey, the ones the quarterbacks wear so they will not engage in any contact.

"It's a little bit more in-depth than you've been hearing about," Reed told reporters on Monday when asked about the injury. "I can't explain it at this point because I am still researching it myself. I figure it might be all right. If it's not, we will deal with it."

He wasn't sure if he would be ready to play in the season opener against Cincinnati.

"We'll see man, we'll see," he said.

Reed said it wasn't something that just happened, but something that has been building up over his 27 years of playing football.

"I'm out here moving around and loosening it up," he said. "Just seeing how it feels playing in a game situation. It's just being smart with it."

Asked about wearing the red jersey, he said, "It's just something to help the guys understand not to have any contact. That hasn't worked at all. I've still been getting bumped, still been hitting the ground, running through guys, which is a good thing because you really get to feel if you can get hit or not."

He said after his career is over he will have to get surgery on the shoulder.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh seemed more optimistic about Reed's status and felt he would be ready for the opener.

""I'm not doubtful of that at all, based on what we've been told by the doctors," Harbaugh said. "We've got plenty of experts working on it. They're making a lot of progress. I think they are confident that they are making a lot of progress. Ed wants to be right. Any great player wants to feel physically right. I think it's our job to get to that point."

He said it was important for Reed to get back in action this week.

"That's why we had the red jersey," he said. "He doesn't need to contact stuff to get ready to play. As a football player, changing direction, especially for a defensive back, backpedaling, bursting, spacing, Those things are going to be very important for him. He doesn't need the contact stuff to get ready, but the movement stuff is important.

Losing the 29-year-old Reed would be a big blow to the Ravens, even though through the draft and free agency they have added a lot of depth to their secondary this year.

Reed is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who is considered one of the top safeties in the league.

"I hate that guy so much because he's so good," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "I'm glad he's on our team. He is the best free safety in the game hands down. There's nobody better than him."

"I've always heard stories about how Ed Reed makes plays, and now I'm out here witnessing it," said cornerback Frank Walker, who signed with the Ravens as a free agent during the offseason. "You'd better watch your back or Ed will take your candy, the football."

Harbaugh confirmed on Monday that running back Willis McGahee had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He said it was a precautionary thing and he should be ready for the opener although there is a possibility he could miss it.

"We going to go in there and scope it and clean it up just to make sure he's going to be ready by opening day," Harbaugh said. "We want to make sure we know what's going on in there."

(fredericknewspost.com)