It’s one part, however, that Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti chooses to avoid.

“I’ve never sat in a negotiation and I never will,” Bisciotti said last week at the Ravens end-of-season press conference.

Bisciotti explained that he views many of the players almost like family, and doesn’t want to sever those relationships by sitting down at a potentially hostile negotiating table.

Instead, he leaves that work to the Ravens personnel experts like General Manager Ozzie Newsome and salary cap specialist Pat Moriarty.

“It is hard,” Bisciotti said. “That’s why these guys [in personnel] get paid the big bucks, because I don’t want to be in the middle of that, because it’s very difficult.”

This offseason the Ravens plan to enter contract negotiations with some of the franchise’s premier players like running back Ray Rice and quarterback Joe Flacco. Rice is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and Flacco is entering the final season of his five-year rookie contract.

As the Ravens go through negotiations with the two star players, Bisciotti plans to stay far from it. In fact, he typically doesn’t even talk with players until the negotiations are settled.

When the Ravens were working out a new deal with veteran linebacker Ray Lewis back in 2009, Bisciotti and Lewis kept their distance.

They call or text each other from time-to-time and usually get dinner once a year. But that year, the calls stopped and there was no dinner.

“I never talked to Ray Lewis about his negotiation during that time,” Bisciotti said. “He and I just kind of shut off our communication.”

Bisciotti expects to continue with that method once again this offseason.

“We just kind of shut it down and let these [personnel] guys do their job,” Bisciotti said.

If Grubbs doesn’t return next season, could second-year tackle Jah Reid handle the role as starting right guard?

Taken in the third round of last April’s NFL Draft, Reid played sparingly at right tackle this past season, used almost exclusively in jumbo packages.

But he’s a player Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said he’s “really excited about.”

Newsome was asked whether he would be comfortable with Reid playing guard if Grubbs didn’t return.

“The thing that Steve pushed John [Harbaugh] and I the last couple of years is, ‘Don’t be afraid to play young players,’” Newsome said at the season-ending press conference last Wednesday.

“We’ve had Jah now for a year, and now we’ve got him for a full offseason and OTAs and stuff like that, so John and I are not afraid.”

As Newsome said, Harbaugh will make the ultimate decision on whether Reid can play at guard.

Reid (6-foot-7, 335 pounds) said he did practice some at multiple positions, and his aim for next season is to become a more integral part of the offensive line.

“Of course I want to start,” Reid said. “That’s what I came here to do. There’s going to be a lot of changes on the team; that’s how the business works. I’m just going to prepare myself to play any position they need me to.”

The Ravens traded up five spots in the 2011 NFL Draft to snatch Reid, parting with their third- and sixth-round picks to do so. Head Coach John Harbaugh said at the time that he was a little bit developmental, and “he’s big, he can bend, he’s very physical and he’s on the upswing.”

Reid spent much of last training camp at right tackle with the first-team offense, partly because of the lack of bodies at practice, but also because of his fast growth. He likely would have started had Baltimore not signed Bryant McKinnie just weeks before the season started.

As a result, Reid was allowed to further develop. He was still active for all 16 games this season.

“I think I got a good foundation,” Reid said the day after Baltimore’s playoff exit. “The coaches ingrained as much of the system as they could in me.

“[I improved] everywhere; in the book, physically, technique, all around. But there’s always room for more improvement. This offseason I’ll be able to focus on the things I learned and come in ready next year.”

Reid went back home to Florida as almost all players scattered for some relaxation. But he said he plans on attending all of the Ravens’ offseason weight program, which starts in mid-April, and the camps.

Bisciotti said last Wednesday at the team’s season-ending press conference that the Ravens have talked about having an open practice at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

The Ravens are committed to having, at minimum, three practices away from Owings Mills that would be open to the public, with at least one of those at M&T Bank Stadium.

There have not been any discussions with the Naval Academy yet, Team President Dick Cass confirmed.

“I’d like to get one down to Annapolis; it’s my neck of the woods,” Bisciotti said, before cracking a joke.

“So, maybe we can talk with Navy and maybe get it down there in the summertime, which would be good. We can get you all down to McGarvey’s [Saloon & Oyster Bar] and have some fun down there.”

The Ravens announced on Dec. 2 that they would not be hosting training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., this year for a wide-range of reasons. Simply put, the team felt the facilities in Owings Mills enabled them to better prepare for the season.

While Bisciotti agreed with the change, it was a difficult one for him personally considering some of his fondest childhood memories are of going to watch the Baltimore Colts practice in Westminster.

Bisciotti said it’s “our job to create that access” despite the move.

“It hurts me personally, and yet, the NFL is a different animal than it was when I was a little kid,” Bisciotti said, saying there are many more people now.

“We’ll take care of the tykes. We’ll figure out a way to get some open practices and get the autographs and get that interaction. We’ll do a good job of that. And, it is very, very bittersweet to have to come to the conclusion finally that it is in our best interest, from a football perspective, to do that here instead of Westminster.”

“No matter how good you were,” Pees said, “you’re going to try to improve in every area.”

Pees, who took over when Chuck Pagano became the Colts head coach, is in the early stages of assessing personnel and determining the areas the Ravens can clean up this offseason.

The Ravens former linebackers coach is planning to re-watch every play from the previous season to get a better sense of where the defense needs to improve, but the one point Pees already knows for certain is there is no need for any significant makeovers.

“There aren’t a lot of changes that we want to make to this defense,” Pees said.

The Ravens ranked in the top five in just about every defensive category, had four players – Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata – selected to the Pro Bowl and featured the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year (Suggs). 

“We’ve just got to keep building on the things we did during the season,” Pees said.

When talking about what the Ravens did well this season, Pees pointed to two specific areas: stopping teams on third downs and keeping opponents from scoring touchdowns once they got into the red zone.

“Last year we spent a lot of time in the offseason trying to get those improved and they did improve,” Pees said.

The Ravens held opponents to a 32.1 percent conversion rate on third downs, which ranked second best in the league. The previous season, teams had a 38 percent third-down conversion rate against Baltimore, ranking 15th.

In the red zone, the Ravens were even better.

Teams scored touchdowns against the Ravens just 38.1 percent of the time once they got inside the 20-yard line, the lowest percentage in the league.

Success in both of those situations, Pees said, comes from stopping the run, a trademark of Baltimore’s defenses over the years.

“The Ravens have always had a tradition of being an aggressive, tough, hard-nosed defense that could stop the run and never gave up a lot points,” Pees said.

“I know it’s a passing league and all that stuff, but you can see a team throw for 400 yards and still lose a game. There’s not many games where you see somebody run for like 150-160 yards and still lose a game.”

The key to stopping the run is having a strong front seven, and the Ravens have some questions in that department as linebackers Jarret Johnson, Jameel McClain and Brendon Ayanbadejo and defensive end Cory Redding are all unrestricted free agents.

Regardless of whether they return next season, Pees’ focus for now remains unchanged.

For him, the next several weeks are all about going back through the season and looking for any chinks in the Ravens’ armor, and trying to find ways to ensure their success continues into next season.

“We’re going to analyze it, say what was good about it, what was bad about it, what can improve, how we can improve it.” Pees said. “Even when you do things really well, you still look at things and say maybe we could do it just a little bit better.”

The unexpected retirement announcement from running back Ricky Williams adds to the Ravens’ already long offseason to-do list.

Now Ravens brass has to find a backup to Ray Rice, not to mention re-signing the top back himself.

Anthony Allen, Damien Berry and Matt Lawrence are all currently under contract in Baltimore. The Ravens know best whether one of them is ready to support Rice in Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron’s two-back system.

Many pundits believe the Ravens will look to free agency for a back with more experience, not just to be a change of pace for Rice, but to carry the load if he were to go down with injury.

“If Williams does follow through with his retirement, it will be a big loss for the Ravens even though Williams isn’t the same powerful running back from a few years ago,” wrote ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

“What the Ravens lose isn’t the stats that Williams produced last year. …What the Ravens lose is a reliable insurance policy for running back Ray Rice. If Rice went down for any significant amount of time, Baltimore didn’t have to worry about handing the ball to Williams, one of 26 players in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards.”

Baltimore enjoyed the luxury of having a proven back as a No. 2 option the last couple of years with Williams and Willis McGahee.

“It appears that their preference is to have an experienced backup,” wrote Hensley.

There will be plenty of free-agent running backs on the market that could fit that same profile, says CSNBaltimore.com’s John Eisenberg.

He specifically named five backs as potential suitors: Cedric Benson, Ronnie Brown, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Thomas Jones and Cadillac Williams.

“Benson is a familiar face, having enjoyed solid games against the Ravens while playing in Cincinnati for the past four years, but the Bengals are considering letting him go, and at age 29, he might fit in perfectly as a backup to Rice,” wrote Eisenberg. “He certainly knows the AFC North.

“Brown, 31, might also be a good fit, although he had a disappointing 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles, rushing for just 136 yards on 42 carries. But with 4,951 career rushing yards, Brown is a tough runner who might be able to produce at a relatively cheap price.”

Williams Could Still Decide To Return

There’s one other player that could fill the void left by Williams.

That player is Ricky Williams.

There are many who believe this still might not be the end for Williams. The 34-year-old running back acknowledged that reality yesterday by saying, “The easy answer is I’ve moved on, but the one thing I’ve learned about myself is, ‘Who the hell knows?’”

Williams still has one year left on his reported two-year, $2.6 million contract with the Ravens, and he has come back from retirement before.

“I don’t know if it is over yet,” said NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger. “He’s retired in response to a text from Bill Parcels, who texted him saying, ‘Look, there’s more to do in your life,’ … and he kind of responded to that.

“July, August and the Ravens are still interested, I could see Ricky still coming back and trying to play again.”

ProFootballTalk.com’s Gregg Rosenthal further cast doubts on Williams’ plan to retire, citing how closely the decision followed the heartbreaking AFC championship loss.

“Williams is often full of surprises, and veterans that decide to retire shortly after a devastating playoff loss often change their mind by training camp,” Rosenthal wrote. “The NFL is a less interesting place without Williams in it.

“But we have a feeling Ricky may not be done running just yet.”

Super Bowl Odds A Sign Of Disrespect?

The Ravens came within a stripped pass of advancing to Super Bowl XLVI, but the odds of coming that close again next season are not good, according to MGM Grand’s sports book in Las Vegas.

The oddsmaker lists the Ravens as 20-1 favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2013, which is tied for 13th in the NFL.

The Patriots are first on the list with 5-1 odds, followed by the Packers (11-2), the Steelers (6-1) and the Eagles (6-1).

The Jets and the Cowboys, who didn’t make the playoffs, were given the same 20-1 odds as Baltimore. Many other teams that didn’t reach the postseason (Chargers, Bears and Eagles), have a better chance than the Ravens, says MGM Grand.

“Even Baltimore fans who don’t see a conspiracy around every corner can smell the diss in those rankings,” wrote Eisenberg.

Other betting sites give the Ravens a better shot at lifting the Lombardi Trophy, including 12-1 and 14-1 odds.

The Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck points out that 12-1 aren’t bad odds because it means the Ravens would reach the playoffs again. And while the 20-1 odds “have to leave you scratching your head a bit,” Schmuck explains that it’s not a total sign of disrespect.

“The Ravens figure to have almost all of the key players coming back from a team that was a dropped pass away from playing the Giants on Sunday,” wrote Schmuck. “The idea that they could have higher odds than some of the teams ahead of them on the list should be galling to Ravens fans, but there are reasons for that which have less to do with how good the Ravens are in relation to, say, the San Diego Chargers, than what division they play in and the difficulty of their schedule.”

Schmuck says the Chargers will have an easier road to the Super Bowl because their division will likely require less wins than the Ravens will need to compete in the AFC North.

“So, it’s really not a sign of disrespect as much as one oddsmaker’s take on the NFL landscape next season,” wrote Schmuck. “If I were a betting man (and, of course, I would never place a wager on a sporting event) I would love to get 20-1 on the Ravens to win it all next year.

“Those are some sweet odds.”

Quick Hits

• A “way, way, way, way too early” Super Bowl XLVII prediction from FOX’s Peter Schrager has the Ravens beating the Packers, 27-24. [FoxSports.com]
• When the free agent market opens March 13, there could be more than 600 players available. “This is shaping up as a bloated market now that the new CBA again allows for players with four years of service to shop their talents (players with fewer years in the league can potentially move as restricted free agents),” wrote Nate David. “But last year’s lockout produced a lot of one-year deals that could lead to multi-year, multimillion-dollar pacts this time around.” [USA Today]
• KVanValkenburg: Ricky Williams told me a month ago he planned to go to med school when he retired. Can’t wait to see what he does next. Fascinating person. [Twitter]
• Ant_Allen: Hold up my boy Haloti on the food network baking cakes? Lol … @DJBerry20 I promise it was just on the food network… Lol I had to check again I thought I was trippin [Twitter]
• The Drake University Athletic Department will honor kicker Billy Cundiff on Sunday with the presentation of the “Drake Double D Award.” The Double D award is presented annually to Drake letterwinners for achievements in their chosen fields of endeavor and/or community service since leaving Drake. [GoDrakeBulldogs.com]
• A look back on an interview with Williams about his famous ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Run Ricky Run.”  [ESPN]

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Haley Brings Fiery Personality To Steelers
The Steelers reached a deal with Todd Haley to become their new offensive coordinator, and he brings a track record of being an in-your-face kind of coordinator. Haley was a fiery personality as the head coach in Kansas City and as a coordinator with Arizona, write the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Browns Need Receiver Like Manningham
The Cleveland Browns offense was one of the league’s worst last year and part of the problem was not having an explosive weapon at wide receiver. For that reason, Browns beat writer Mary Cay Cabot says that Giants wide receiver is exactly the kind of target the Browns need to find this offseason. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Offseason Outlook: Quarterbacks
Unlike last year, the Bengals are heading into the offseason with a good feeling about the quarterback position after rookie Andy Dalton went to the Pro Bowl and surpassed expectations. The Bengals also have backup Bruce Gradkowski signed through next season. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

Super Bowl Attracts 2.1 Million Online Viewers
The Super Bowl was live streamed for the first time this season, and the online stream of the game drew 2.1 million viewers, according to NBC. That makes it the most  watched single-game sporting event online. [Associated Press / SI.com]

Tuesday, Feb. 7

Report: Haley To Run Steelers’ Offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly tapped former Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley to be their new offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Haley would replace Bruce Arians, who was not offered a new contract and left to become the Colts offensive coordinator. [ESPN.com]

Council OKs $5.8 Million In Stadium Repairs
The city of Cleveland has agreed to pay the Browns $5.8 million to make repairs to the 12-year-old Cleveland Browns Stadium. The money will come from a city-administered tax on tobacco and alcohol sales. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Giants To Travel To Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Bengals will welcome the New York Giants to Paul Brown Stadium next season, marking the 28th time the franchise history the Bengals have played a regular-season game against the defending Super Bowl champs. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

Super Bowl Champion Giants Return Home
The Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants returned home Monday where they were greeted by hundreds of fans at their practice facility. The team is holding a victory parade through the city today. [Associated Press / ESPN.com]

Monday, Feb. 6

Harrison, Clark Insult Patriots
Soon after the New England Patriots dropped the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison tweeted “Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!”  Safety Ryan Clark then chimed in with a tweet saying, “0-2 [in Super Bowls] post spy gate! Just saying!!”  [ESPN.com]

Griffin Says He Wants To Go To Colts
Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is projected by many draft analysts as a likely pick of by the Cleveland Browns with the fourth overall pick, but during interviews this weekend he said that he wants to be the first overall pick to the Colts. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Dalton Shut Out Of Rookie Honors
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was up for some of the rookie awards this year but he ended up getting shut out in favor of fellow rookie quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers quarterback won the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award by a wide margin. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

Manning Flexible On Deal Demands
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is reportedly willing to sign a contract that is loaded with incentives, rather than up-front money. The contract would likely have bonuses for staying healthy and performing at a high level. [ESPN.com]

And he foresees working it for a while longer.

There have been questions as to when Newsome, 55, will decide to step down and allow Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta, who has been called by many pundits the “general manager in waiting,” to take over.

“I work with good people,” Newsome said at last Wednesay’s season-ending press conference.

“I enjoy Steve [Bisciotti], Dick [Cass]. John [Harbaugh] and I, we have a blast together – the coaches, my staff. I enjoy coming to work. I don’t know if I have a bad day. I might make a lot of mistakes, but I don’t know if I have a bad day at the office. With the people that are in the building, I really, really enjoy what I do.”

Newsome came from Cleveland to Baltimore at the franchise’s birth in 1996, and has long been known as one of the best in the business. Hired in 2002 as the first African-American general manager in the NFL, Newsome has drafted 15 players who have earned Pro Bowl honors.

He has one Super Bowl ring, and now he’s looking for more before he retires.

“I don’t know how much longer,” Newsome said. “I want Super Bowls. Steve and I talk about two Super Bowls and three Super Bowls. Once I get to that point, I’ll start deciding.”

Williams is calling it a career after one season in Baltimore, where he backed up Ray Rice and rushed for 444 yards and two touchdowns. Before playing with the Ravens, Williams spent three years in New Orleans and seven in Miami.

“The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life,” Williams said. “I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun. I want to thank all my fans, teammates, coaches and supporters for the strength they’ve given me to overcome so much.”

The announcement comes just two weeks after Williams said that he planned to return to the Ravens next year for the final season of his two-year contract.

“My body feels good and I know I’m going to train hard and so I’m excited about next year,” Williams said at the time.

But a few days after the season, Williams got into a text-message conversation with former NFL coach Bill Parcells that changed his viewpoint.

“I was excited to express to him how excited I was about football about the way the season ended and how much I was looking forward to coming back,” Williams said Tuesday during a radio interview with Sid Rosenberg in Miami. “His reply kind of shook me a little bit. He said, ‘that’s good to hear, don’t chase this thing too long, you can contribute in other ways.’”

Williams said he then made a list of the people and reasons why he was continuing to play football.

“And my name was not on that list,” he said.

Williams said he was convinced that if he returned next season, his role would have expanded in the offense and the Ravens would have won the Super Bowl. Just knowing that he and the Ravens could have done that, Williams said, “made it that I didn’t really have to go out there and prove anything.”

Williams insisted that he’s happy with his decision, but also left open the possibility that a return to the game could be in his future. 

“The easy answer is I’ve moved on, but the one thing I’ve learned about myself, ‘who the hell knows?’”

For now, however, Williams is focused on other ventures.

“As for what’s next, I am excited about all the opportunities ahead – continuing my education, running The Ricky Williams Foundation and whatever other opportunities present themselves,” Williams said.

Williams leaves the NFL with 10,009 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns on 2,431 carries. He is just one of 26 players in NFL history to top 10,000 career rushing yards.

“Ricky, in his time here, made a valuable and lasting contribution,” Ravens Head Coach Harbaugh said. “I especially enjoyed getting to know him as a person, and I have the utmost respect for him. He was great to be around and to work with every single day.”

In his one season with the Ravens, Williams was a perfect fit. Rice routinely referred to him as the “best thing that ever happened to me,” and he re-affirmed that Tuesday after Williams announced his retirement.

“I was a big fan of Ricky before we were teammates, but being around him this year is the best thing that happened to me in my NFL career,” Rice said. “As a young player, you need to be around a guy who knows what he is doing, and Ricky was tremendous to learn from.”

Rice benefitted from Williams in the backfield and had the best season of his career, topping 2,000 yards from scrimmage and making his second Pro Bowl.

“I had the best year with him beside me, and that was no accident,” Rice said. “I believe that Ricky Williams is a Hall of Famer.”

“Ricky is one of the most productive rushers in league history, and he was a tremendous asset to our team this past season,” Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome added. “We enjoyed having him as a member of the Ravens, as his leadership, work ethic and commitment contributed to our success.”

Had he returned for another season, Williams would have been 35 years old and might have been the oldest running back in the league. Kevin Faulk, 35, and Sammy Morris, 34, are currently older but could also retire this offseason.

Williams’ decision creates a void at backup running back. The Ravens currently have second-year running back Anthony Allen, who had three carries last season, on the roster. Fellow second-year running back Damien Berry is also on the practice squad.

Williams retired from the NFL once before, in 2004. Williams came into the NFL as the fifth overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1999 draft.

“I have to thank coach [John] Harbaugh and the Ravens organization for the opportunity they gave me this year,” Williams said. “I had so much fun and really appreciated the chance to finish on such a great note.”

The Ravens organization has not made any comments about the recent reports.

Williams tweeted Tuesday afternoon saying, “Thank you all, but this ain’t it, I’m gonna do something really special. ‘Be you and change the world.’”

Williams is reportedly calling it a career after one season in Baltimore, where he backed up Ray Rice and rushed for 444 yards and two touchdowns. Before playing with the Ravens, Williams spent three years in New Orleans and seven in Miami.

The news comes just two weeks after Williams said that he planned to return to the Ravens next year for the final season of his two-year contract.

“My body feels good and I know I’m going to train hard and so I’m excited about next year,” Williams said at the time.

Williams has 10,009 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns on 2,431 carries. He is just one of 26 players in NFL history to top 10,000 career rushing yards.

Ravens fullback Vonta Leach gave Williams praise on Twitter, writing, “Love and respect. 10,000 career yards, not many Rbs can say that. It was a pleasure blocking n playing in same backfield with u.”

If he returned for another season, Williams would be 35 years old and might be the oldest running back in the league. Kevin Faulk, 35, and Sammy Morris, 34, are currently older but could also retire this offseason.

Williams’ decision to retire would create a void at backup running back for the Ravens, leaving them with second-year running back Anthony Allen, who had just three carries last season. The Ravens also have second-year running back Damien Berry on their practice squad.

Williams retired from the NFL once before, in 2004. He came into the NFL as the fifth overall pick in the 1999 draft.

Just this past preseason Manning took flack for labeling himself an elite signal caller – not to boast, but just as a matter of fact.

Sound familiar?

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has taken similar criticism. Before the year began, Flacco said “I think I’m a pretty damn good quarterback.”

While Flacco’s season didn’t end as well as Manning’s, Ravens Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron believes Flacco will also be vindicated in time.

Comparisons are never spot on because each quarterback is unique, but he sees connections that can be drawn between Flacco and Manning.

“I think there are a lot of parallels when you look at where they both were after four years,” Cameron said. “They both have had a reasonable amount of success. We all know the success Joe has had, we all know Joe’s upside. I think people were saying the same thing about Eli.”

Cameron knows Manning pretty well.

He first met him in 1993 at the Manning household when Cameron was trying to recruit older brother Peyton to come play football at the University of Michigan. Eli was a tall, rangy middle-schooler playing video games in the other room.

Cameron followed Eli’s career since then, from his days at Ole Miss, to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Cameron would have been Manning’s offensive coordinator had the Chargers not immediately traded him to New York.

Now Cameron sees some of Eli’s personality in Flacco, who was described by Owner Steve Bisciotti as “solid in the Type-B camp.” With a second Super Bowl victory, Manning has proven that quiet leadership can still speak volumes.

“They do have similar leadership styles,” Cameron said. “I just think it shows that whether it’s an NFL quarterback, a head coach, there’s all sorts of leadership. The bottom line is getting the job done your way. I think that’s the most important thing.”

It’s also important to note that just because a quarterback doesn’t win the big game in his first four years, or doesn’t have monstrous statistics, doesn’t mean he won’t get there eventually. Manning won his first title in Year 4.

Here’s a look at Flacco’s stats compared to Manning’s over their first four seasons:

Their similarities go beyond personality, or even stats.

Both Flacco and Manning are big-bodied, big-armed quarterbacks. Flacco is 6-foot-6 while Manning is listed at 6-foot-4. That naturally provides the advantage of being able to see better from the pocket, but also makes maintaining technique more difficult.

They can also each make all the throws a quarterback needs to.

“If a guy can make all the throws that he needs to make, then it’s just a matter of doing it consistently and in the critical situations and continuing to just grow as a player,” Cameron said.

Cameron, as well as Head Coach John Harbaugh and Bisciotti, know Flacco is growing.

“I think he is going to be extremely successful, and I think he’s going to have rings, and I think he’s got 10 years of his prime to show it,” Bisciotti said last Wednesday in the season-ending press conference. “And I think that he will be rewarded for his personality in the long run, and hopefully our fans will, too.”