Rex Ryan wanted Ed Reed on the New York Jets. Now he's got him.
Reed signed a contract with the Jets on Thursday, one day after the veteran safety cleared waivers following his release by the Houston Texans.
Reed practiced with his new teammates and will see action when the Jets meet the Buffalo Billson Sunday, according to Ryan.
"He'll be a great signing for us," the Jets coach said. "He's gonna help this football team, without question."
Ryan told reporters that Reed is in "outstanding shape" and said it was clear the veteran "still moves well."
"Obviously he's not going to play every snap. He's not going to start," Ryan said. "But I was encouraged by what I remembered and everything else. But in a way, it's not surprising."
Reed enters a safety mix in New York that includes starter Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen. Jaiquawn Jarrett is the team's third safety. Landry and Reed played together for five seasons in Baltimore.
Just one day earlier, Ryan told reporters he "absolutely" would want Reed on his team. The pair have history. Ryan was a longtime defensive coach in Baltimore, which included a four-season stint as the team's defensive coordinator before joining the Jets in 2009.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Reed underwent a "lengthy physical" Thursday morning that left the Jets comfortable with his health. Reed flew Wednesday night to New York and had an extended sitdown with Idzik, who came out of the meeting "impressed."
Reed would still be in Houston if he was close to the player he once was, but this remains a smart, low-risk move for New York. Reed is familiar with Ryan's defense and could find himself in a prominent role by the time the Jets travel to Baltimore next week to face Reed's former team.
And if you think the Jets don't take added pleasure in acquiring a player that Patriots coach Bill Belichick has openly adored in the past, you don't know this rivalry. Reed told reporters Thursday that the Patriots had been interested in signing him. The Jets won out.
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