Eric Reid reportedly declines offer to join Washington Football Team practice squad

The Washington Football Team reportedly offered Eric Reid a spot on their practice squad which he declined.

In the aftermath of the Landon Collins injury, there had been speculation that the Washington Football Team may try to add a safety to the fold. And one option that drew some attention was the potential signing of Eric Reid.

Reid, a former first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, had played with Ron Rivera‘s Carolina Panthers for two years and logged 130 tackles for them in 2019 before being cut after the season. He had his share of issues in coverage by for Washington, he would’ve added depth and a great box backup at the very least.

And on Tuesday, it seemed like the team was legitimately considering him. ESPN’s John Keim reported as much in a recent story but also detailed a reason why Reid coming to town might not work out.

"Washington is considering all options in replacing Collins, including signing veteran Eric Reid, a source told ESPN. He played for two seasons in Carolina under Rivera. The question with Reid would be cost. Carolina signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $22 million in 2019 that included a $9 million signing bonus. But it cut him after last season. Reid has taken a strong stance of protesting police brutality and racial inequality during the National Anthem.Washington would not need Reid beyond this season with Collins still under contract. He signed a six-year deal worth up to $84 million during the 2019 offseason. If Washington released Collins after the season it would cost them $13.8 million in dead cap space."

Washington does have cap space but if they can’t get Reid to agree to a one-year deal, then setting their sights on another target would be sensible.

It doesn’t look like the two sides are going to come to an agreement. At least not yet. According to AP reporter Rob Maaddi, Reid was offered a spot on Washington’s practice squad, but he declined to sign there.

If that is what happened, that’s too bad that Washington wasn’t able to get him to sign. But at the same time, they probably should’ve found a way to add him to the active roster if they want to improve their depth at the position behind starters Deshazor Everett and rookie seventh-round pick Kamren Curl, who has looked good this season.

Reid has played in 99 games with 98 career starts and is just 28, so he still has some good football left in him. He is a great tackler and while he may not be the best in coverage, he wouldn’t be asked to cover much in Washington. And really, he’d be there to be a top backup more than anything else. His presence would help prevent Troy Apke from seeing the field on defense again.

We’ll see if Washington’s tune changes, if Reid ultimately decides to take a practice squad spot, or if the WFT moves onto another veteran target. In the meantime, Jeremy Reaves has been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad and will serve as safety depth behind Everett and Curl.