The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of ushering a significant rebuild this offseason. It appears safety Eric Reid is no longer part of their long-term plans.
According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, the Panthers have decided to release Reid:
The Panthers will be releasing safety Eric Reid, source says. Team saw him as a great culture fit, ownership/management really liked him, all seemed well. But team decided to instead go a different way at safety in free agency.
The Panthers initially signed Reid to a one-year deal during the 2018 campaign. Although there had been plenty of speculation regarding the reasoning behind the deal, not quickly became evident that he was there to provide an immediate impact.
Following a successful trial run, Reid signed a three-year, $22 million contract extension prior to the 2019 NFL season. Although he was a force in the run game with a career-high 130 tackles and four sacks, his pass coverage still left much to be desired. Regardless, there was no denying that his presence served as a stabilizing factor for this struggling secondary.
Reid should have no problem garnering interest on the market as a free agent. Among the teams that could already be interested in landing his services is the Washington Redskins. After all, head coach Ron Rivera is quite familiar with what the veteran brings to the table.
While Washington may also be experiencing some significant turnover to the roster, they are hoping to be further along than the Panthers are by the time the 2020 NFL season rolls around.
Follow Us
Subscribe