After losing Carlton Davis to the New England Patriots earlier in the day, the Detroit Lions are signing Jets cornerback D. J. Reed to a three-year contract.
Detroit Lions Acquire D.J. Reed In Free Agency
Although the exact terms are unknown, the deal is rumored per ESPN to be in the neighborhood of $48 million or roughly $16 million per year. A seven-year veteran cornerback, Reed is expected to replace Davis, who is rumored to have agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with New England. Despite a personally frustrating season with the Jets, Reed recorded 64 combined tackles with one sack last year.
Reed The Early Years
A 28-year-old Bakersfield, CA native, Reed attended Kansas State University, where he was both a cornerback and kick return specialist. In his junior year in 2017, he appeared in 11 of 13 games, recording 47 tackles, four interceptions, nine pass defenses, and one forced fumble.
As a return specialist, he caught 17 punts for 253 yards with one touchdown, and 17 kickoffs for 582 yards and one touchdown that season. A team captain, Reed was named first-team All-Big 12 as a cornerback and second-team All-Big 12 as a return specialist.
Reed’s Pro Career
After declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft, Reed was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round. He was with the team when they lost the Super Bowl 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, shortly afterward, Reed was placed on the active/non-football injury list on July 28, 2020.
Claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks, he was activated on October 31, 2020, to replace the Seahawks injured cornerback, Quinton Dunbar. After impressing the coaching staff with two critical interceptions, Reed remained the starting cornerback even after Dunbar’s return.
In March, 2022, Reed signed his contract with the Jets. Playing alongside the Jets Defensive Player of the Year, Sauce Gardner, Reed provided a solid compliment to the superstar cornerback. He averaged 59 tackles per year in his three years with New York.