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Fantasy Reaction: Ed Reed Signs With Houston

Ed Reed signed a two-year deal with the Texans, who had an obvious need in the back end of its defensive unit after opting to not bring back Glover Quin in 2013. For a team that's just a few pieces away from being a Super Bowl contender, it isn’t surprising that they chose to add a veteran playmaker who has already been one.

Reed isn't the player he used to be, but at some point, that was expected to happen. For a player who will turn 35 in September, it’s remarkable that he made it this far before displaying a significant decline in his play.

Since Pro Football Focus’ inception in 2008, Reed logged career lows in just about all of our signature stats, as well as overall grade and coverage grade. But with that said, he still ranked within the top-25 qualifying safeties in the NFL in coverage snaps per target, coverage snaps per receptions allowed and yards allowed per coverage snap.

Those are far from the elite numbers we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Reed, but it’s a sign that he could still be an effective contributor, if nothing else, in the twilight years of his career. Also worth considering is that Houston has a dominant pass rush with J.J. Watt and company, and Reed could see quite a few errant throws in his direction as a result. We're all very familiar with what Reed has done throughout his career when that happens.

FANTASY SPIN

Though Reed could be a worthy stop-gap for the Texans’ secondary, it doesn’t mean you should rush to draft him. You’re playing with fire if you expect turnovers from Reed to propel your fantasy team. Reed doesn't create a lot of fantasy points via “safer” methods such as tackles or sacks.

The man Reed’s replacing, Glover Quin, was assigned to pass-rushing duties for 71 snaps. That could indicate an uptick from Reed’s total with the Ravens last season of 25, but not enough to make a true fantasy impact. Given the crapshoot that drafting defensive backs can be, you’d do better looking elsewhere for someone to anchor your team’s safety position.

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