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Ed Reed was the biggest offseason acquisition for the Houston Texans. He was without question the team’s prize free agent signing, but things haven’t gotten off to a great start for the veteran safety in Houston. Reed recently underwent hip surgery, and now his status for the season opener is up in the air.
News of his surgery certainly wasn’t what Texans’ fans wanted to hear, but at this point, it comes with the territory. Reed is aging, and he’s probably not going to be on the field 24/7 like he once was. He’ll probably miss out on most of the team’s offseason activities, and he likely be unavailable for the preseason. But what does it really matter?
Who cares if Reed doesn’t partake in training camp, or if he plays in meaningless preseason games? The Texans didn’t bring him in to be a difference-maker in the summer, they brought him to make a difference in December and January.
The Texans need Reed to be 100%, there’s no point to bringing him back early. We know this current group of defenders can get the job done in the regular season, and they’ll be able to hold down the fort while the legendary safety recuperates.
Houston would be wise to just play things very conservatively with Reed. He still has some gas in the tank, but there’s no need to use it up on games the team can win without him. Still, it doesn’t seem like he’ll miss much, if any time at all. The procedure he underwent was relatively minor, and it’s better that he fixed it in the offseason before it lingered on and cost him the time when he’ll be needed the most.
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