Ed Reed will return for an 11th season with the Baltimore Ravens, according to an ESPN.com report. Reed, speaking Thursday at the Miami Hurricanes' Hall of Fame induction ceremony, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel he wants to play this season and, if health permits, beyond.

Domonique Foxworth was elected president of the NFL Players Association on Sunday without opposition. "One of the most important things I learned from (former NFLPA president) Kevin (Mawae) is about responsibility," Foxworth, a free-agent cornerback, said. "Players like to say, 'The NFLPA is our organization.' There is a wealth of experience and talent in this room, and I will reach out to each and every one of you about your interests and passions. If we work as hard as we did during the lockout now in peacetime, we will be the strongest organization in the world." In 2007, Foxworth was elected by the Broncos as a player representative. In 2008, he became the youngest vice president of the NFLPA Executive Committee.

The Ravens had representatives meet with Joe Linta, the agent for Joe Flacco, for several hours on Friday at an undisclosed location. It marked the second time that the two sides have discussed a long-term contract this offseason. "It was a good meeting. [Baltimore vice president] Pat Moriarty is a pro, and we're going to plow through the process and hopefully come to a good conclusion," Linta said. The first meeting was more a "feeling out" session to make sure both sides were committed to the negotiations. Linta didn't offer any specifics about yesterday's meeting but did say things are "moving in the right direction." Flacco, 27, has one more year remaining on his rookie contract.

Despite contemplating retirement this offseason, Matt Birk has signed a new three-year contract with the Ravens. Birk, 35, has been Baltimore's starting center for the last three seasons. "One of the things we said earlier this offseason is that we were going to focus attention on the offensive line, and getting Matt Birk back is key for us," Ozzie Newsome said. "He is a top player, his intelligence is obvious, and he is a leader on and off the field."

The Saints on Thursday agreed to a deal with former Ravens guard Ben Grubbs, the team announced. A source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that it's a five-year, $36M deal that includes a $10M signing bonus and $16M guaranteed.

Le’Ron McClain has agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the San Diego Chargers. The back is a physical runner who has split time between running back and fullback. He rushed for 902 yards on 232 carries for Baltimore in 2008, though he spent more time as a lead blocker from 2009-11 and is expected to play fullback for the Chargers. McClain played for the Chiefs last season and averaged 18.8 catches per season over the last four years. McClain is the fourth former Ravens player to sign with San Diego since 2011, joining Antwan Barnes, Jared Gaither and Jarret Johnson.

The Ravens may have placed their franchise tag on Ray Rice, but both the team and the running back are working on a long-term deal. The franchise amount for running backs in 2012 is $7.7 million. "As we have in the past, placing the franchise designation on a player allows us to keep negotiating on a long-term contract," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "Our goal is to keep Ray Rice a Raven. We've done this with other outstanding players through our history, including Haloti Ngata a year ago." The team applied the tag to Ngata following the 2010 season before signing him to a five-year, $61 million extension in September. "Yeah, I definitely prefer long-term over franchise tag," Rice said in the past. "I'm not going to complain about the franchise tag, either. It puts yourself in a position where you play that year out and guys have done it, but I prefer the long-term."

Ray Rice has been designated as the franchise player of the Ravens, who hope to buy some time while negotiating a lengthy deal for the running back. Rice's contract expired after a season in which he amassed an NFL-best 2,068 yards from scrimmage. As a franchise running back, Rice will earn $7.7 million in 2012. Baltimore, however, intends to have him around a lot longer. "As we have in the past, placing the franchise designation on a player allows us to keep negotiating on a long-term contract," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "Our goal is to keep Ray Rice a Raven."