The Carolina Panthers head into their bye week with a glaring void in the secondary. Wide receiver Torrey Smith feels free-agent safety Eric Reid would be up for the task.
Reid has been on the market ever since his departure from the San Francisco 49ers. Smith feels the Panthers should seriously consider bringing the Pro Bowler in, according to ESPN's David Newton,
“I think we all know why he hasn’t received a call,” Smith said.
“Honestly, with our injuries, I hope he ends up here,” Smith said. “I know how he is as a talent. If this is something where they come and talk to me about him, I’ll be glad to talk about him as a player, as a person. He’s one of the best men I’ve been around, so I hope that is something that can happen for us because I know that with the injuries we have, he’s a guy that can help this team. I really hope he gets a shot. He deserves it, and it’s not right what’s happened to him.”
The Panthers are noticeably thin at the safety position after they were forced to place Da'Norris Searcy on injured reserve with a concussion. It became clear during their Week 3 matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals that safety Colin Jones is not up to the task. That said, Carolina will need to monitor the position closely if it wants to continue its success this season.
Reid is obviously the best candidate for any team looking to fortify their secondary. Unfortunately, he is among the players who have seemingly been blackballed from the league for kneeling alongside quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a protest against police brutality. Both players have since taken action against the NFL for their current employment status. As a result, they remain without a team despite their ability to contribute immediately.
The lack of interest in Reid is amplified by the fact that the safety position has been grossly undervalued this offseason. There are a number of quality safeties on the market who could potentially start for the Panthers, such as T.J. Ward, Mike Mitchell, and Tyvon Branch It remains to be seen whether or not they look into it during their bye week.
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