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Jordan Reed seeing specialist about toe, no timetable for return

By Jacob Camenker

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 11: Jordan Reed #86 of the Washington Redskins runs with the ball and is pushed out of bounds by Leodis McKelvin #21 and Malcolm Jenkins #27 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 11, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 11: Jordan Reed #86 of the Washington Redskins runs with the ball and is pushed out of bounds by Leodis McKelvin #21 and Malcolm Jenkins #27 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 11, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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According to Jay Gruden, Jordan Reed went to see a specialist about the toe issue that has plagued him recently. There is no timetable for his return.

The last thing that the Washington Redskins wanted was any bad news about the health of Jordan Reed. The former third round pick out of Florida is arguably the second best tight end in the league when healthy, but that has been a rarity throughout his career. In fact, in four seasons, Reed has never played in a full 16 games. The most he played in was 14 contests back in 2015.

Still, Reed was able to perform at a Pro Bowl level despite playing in just 12 contests last year. He suffered a separated shoulder during the team’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, but gutted it out and only missed a couple of games down the stretch. He was not 100 percent, and that definitely hurt the Redskins.

The Redskins were hoping that the 2017 season would be different. After losing their top two receivers from last season, Reed was expected to potentially play a bigger role in the early going, as newcomer Terrelle Pryor developed more chemistry with Kirk Cousins. However, Reed was a surprise addition to the PUP list at the start of training camp with a toe injury. While many thought this would be short term, things have flared up according to the team’s official Twitter account.

This is obviously awful news for the Redskins. When healthy, Reed is a dynamic option for their offense. He proved this in the Thanksgiving game from last year, when he played through the separated shoulder and totaled 10 catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His athleticism is off the charts, and he simply knows what it takes to get his job done. If he wasn’t so brittle, he would be even better.

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In the short term, the Redskins will likely operate with Vernon Davis as their top tight end. Davis is a more than capable backup, and he was a solid replacement for Reed last year when the starter missed games. Davis may not be as physically imposing, but he does have speed that helps him find open space downfield.

The question now is about the backups. Many expected that veteran Niles Paul would end up being cut before the season to save the team some money. After all, he is an injury prone player who has mostly been a special teamer in recent weeks. And with the team bringing in fifth round draft pick Jeremy Sprinkle, it made sense to envision Paul as the odd man out for them. But if Reed cannot stay healthy, Paul may stick around longer than most thought. He is a capable player at tight end. There were just questions about whether or not he would be worth the money for the Redskins.

Next: Redskins sign Kenny Hilliard, waive Keith Marshall

At the end of the day, Reed’s injury is cause for serious concern. If Reed cannot stay healthy in 2017, the Redskins will be without one of their top three offensive players. That’s how important he is to the team. The Skins need more than just Jamison Crowder to patrol the middle of the field, and while Davis is a solid backup, he is nowhere near as good as Reed. The Redskins need to make sure that he gets all the help he can as he tries to get healthy for September.

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