Patriots Blog: Why The Patriots Didn't Pursue Ed Reed
BOSTON (CBS) - As much as Bill Belichick adores Ed Reed -- and we know he does after giving Reed glowing reviews as the best safety the league has ever seen any chance he gets -- the coach did not try to sign the 12-year veteran when he cleared waivers on Wednesday.
Instead, Reed is now a Jet.
If you're wondering why Reed is not a member of the Patriots today, here it is: Ed Reed is not the player he used to be. He's being called a "savvy veteran," which is code for old and slow. That's what the Houston Texans were saying, and maybe all of that is true.
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It was up to the Texans to utilize his strengths and put him in a position to make plays after signing him this off-season, but they didn't. But Reed's former defensive coordinator in Baltimore, Jets head coach Rex Ryan, seems to think they can.
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The Pats went down a similar road with the 34-year-old Adrian Wilson in training camp. They brought him in for a veteran presence in the secondary, but decided to go younger (Wilson was placed on the IR on the final cut day).
And with the decision to not pursue Reed, the Patriots once again decided to stay younger.
Follow Levan Reid on Twitter @LevanReid.
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