Redskins: Jordan Reed’s Best is yet to Come
Redskins: Jordan Reed’s Best is yet to Come
It’s no doubt that Jordan Reed’s presence was felt by the league this year. The tight end was a dominant force in the passing game and had his best season in his early three year career. With Reed finally catching a break from the injury bug, he was able to put up personal bests in just about every statistic. Let’s take a look at some key statistics compared to the rest of the tight end’s in the league.
Receptions: 87 (2nd best)
Yards: 952 (5th best)
Touchdowns: 11 (Tied 2nd)
1st Down Receptions: 54 (1st)
Fumbles: 3 (Last)
As we take a look at Reed’s numbers, a couple of things jump out. We see here that Reed has established himself as a red zone threat with the 2nd most touchdowns by a tight end (tied with Rob Gronkowski). The Redskins ranked 11th overall in redzone scoring percentage (TD’s only) thanks mostly due to Reed’s ability to outmuscle most of his defenders.
We were able to see throughout the season that Kirk Cousins consistently used Reed as a safety net and felt very comfortable throwing to the tight end in vital situations. Most of these situations consisted of important 3rd downs where Reed would make the 1st down play to keep the drive alive. Reed led all tight ends in 1st down receptions and has proven to be the most reliable receiver the Redskins have.
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The statistic that jumps out to me the most is the 3 fumbles. In order for Reed to elevate his game to the elite level, he must be more reliable when running with the football. Instead of going down once it seems Reed is about to be tackled, he continues to fight for extra yards and thus fumbles as a result. He has the capability of keeping drives alive but can also end the drive rather quickly.
Overall, Jordan Reed has developed into one of the best receiving tight end’s in the league. In a transition year with the Redskins initially having quarterback uncertainty (what else is new), Reed was able to establish chemistry with new starting Quarterback Kirk Cousins, and created a tandem that proved to be capable of doing damage. With an established starting quarterback in place, Reed can build on this past year and become even better.
The only concern is his health. Reed has had a history of concussions and other injuries throughout his young career. In the 2013 season, Reed played in only 9 games due to concussions and a bruised thigh. The following season, Reed played in 11 games with hamstring injuries limiting his availability.
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He was never able to consistently stay on the field and produce like he has this past season. We were able to see what Reed can actually do when healthy and that should scare the rest of the league.
If Reed can stay healthy, look for his production to only get better and better. Reed is only 25 years old and already has a very high ceiling in regards to potential ability. This is a guy that is arguably the most athletic tight end in the league who has the potential to become an elite tight end as soon as next season.