Jets coach Rex Ryan once called Ed Reed, “the best safety that’s ever played.” And now he may want to coach him again.
Ryan danced around the question whether the Jets had contacted the All-Pro safety, but a source said the Jets have. CBSSports.com reported the Patriots are also interested in signing Reed.
“With us, as an organization we’re going to look at any player out there that we feel can help us,” Ryan said Wednesday. “We added Greg [Salas], we added David [Nelson] to the receiving corps because we thought they could help us. If we think that’s the case with Ed Reed or any player, we’ll certainly consider it.”
But this isn’t just any player. This is someone who Ryan speaks glowingly about after coaching him with the Ravens from 2002-08. When the Texans cut him Tuesday it became a logical thought Ryan would have interest.
Ryan was asked if he’d like to have Reed and the coach took a long pause before answering.
“The way I am, I could say absolutely yes I would like him on our team,” Ryan said, “and I’ll say that knowing you guys know me — I’d like to have Brandon Moore on the team, I’d like to have Alan Faneca on the team. Anybody who I’ve ever coached that bled for me, I want them. Trevor Pryce — if Trevor called, I’d love to have Trevor on the team. But that’s how I feel. Now, how the big picture of things and how it relates … if we can get Ray Lewis in here, of course, but the big picture of right now, the current football team I’m probably not the right guy to make all of those decisions.”
Ryan admitted he and general manager John Idzik spoke about Reed.
“Obviously, part of the due diligence is if you’ve coached a player, I’m sure you’d want that input,” Ryan said. “So did we have it? It’s safe to say yes.”
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Ryan was not pleased with practice on Wednesday.
“I never thought we were as sharp as I wanted them to be today,” Ryan said. “Just little things missing, that we clearly, in my opinion, are going to need to get better to go out on Sunday and play on a high level. That was the challenge I spoke with the team about after practice today. It wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t as sharp as I’d like.”
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The Bills look like they may be missing some firepower Sunday. Coach Doug Marrone ruled out WR Robert Woods (ankle). He said he is unsure about WR Stevie Johnson (groin), but Johnson did not practice Wedneday. … WR Jeremy Kerley (elbow), OLB Garrett McIntyre (knee) and DL Leger Douzable (illness) did not practice for the Jets. WR Santonio Holmes (foot, hamstring), TE Kellen Winslow (knee), WR Stephen Hill (foot/knee), NT Kenrick Ellis (back) and RB Alex Green (hamstring) all were limited in practice.