KANSAS CITY, Mo. – New Chiefs offensive lineman Jah Reid had choices after clearing waivers when the Baltimore Ravens let him go Sept. 5 as part of roster trimmings to reach a 53-man roster.
Aug. 8, 2015; Owings Mills, MD; Offensive lineman Jah Reid, left, runs a drill with De’Ondre Wesley during training camp with the Baltimore Ravens. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
But the 6-7, 325-pound Reid quickly found he didn’t have to search long for a new home after visiting with the Chiefs and signed a one-year, $750,000 deal.
“It’s a great organization,” Reid said. “They showed a lot of interest in me. It came down to it, I met everybody, I really like how it felt. Everybody seemed really genuine and everything seems really nice, so I decided to come here.”
Reid, who finished his college career at Central Florida with 33 starts at right tackle, appeared in 39 games with seven starts with the Ravens and offers the ability to play either tackle position or guard.
A good thing, too, because the current Chiefs regime covets versatility.
“He has a really good punch, and he finishes blocks,” general manager John Dorsey said earlier in the week. “So there’s a lot of combinations here when you’re looking for a swing-tackle guy that can contribute. He had all the attributes you were looking for.”
The Chiefs didn’t waste time listing Reid as the swing tackle on the depth chart, as he currently sits second behind Donald Stephenson at left tackle and Eric Fisher at right tackle.
Reid concedes he is still learning the Chiefs’ version of the West Coast offense and didn’t offer a timetable on how long it would take him to pick it up.
He has familiarity, however, with the scheme from his time in Baltimore when current Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak served as the Ravens offensive coordinator in 2014.
“I’m just going to work hard,” Reid said. “I don’t really have a timeline for that. A lot of it carries over from similar pass offenses that I’ve had, so hopefully I catch on pretty quick.”
ALL SYSTEMS GO
Free safety Eric Berry didn’t play in the preseason final, and the Chiefs left that decision to him.
The Chiefs have shown since Berry returned from battling cancer that he won’t be rushed into action, but there doesn’t seem to anything holding him back from playing in the regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.
“We’ll see how it all works out,” coach Andy Reid said Friday, “but he’s ready to go.”
The Chiefs currently list Berry second on the depth chart behind starter Husain Abdullah.
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT
Former Chiefs offensive lineman Tavon Rooks continues to recover from a heart attack suffered in training camp, as first reported by ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal.
The Chiefs cited HIPAA Privacy regulations and didn’t offer a statement for the original article, but coach Andy Reid took a moment to acknowledge Rooks during opening remarks of Friday’s post-practice media session.
“I know it’s been mentioned out there in an article and our thoughts and prayers are obviously with him and his recovery,” Reid said. “He’s a great kid.
“I am proud of our medical staff, the KU group for reacting the way that they did and (head athletic trainer) Rick (Burkholder) for likewise doing it. But just due to the privacy laws that are there, I can’t go any further than that or answer any other questions for you in regards to that. Again, Tavon’s a great kid and we are pulling like crazy for him.”
SMITH SIGHTINGS
Cornerback Sean Smith, who is serving a three-game suspension to start the season for violating the NFL policy on substance abuse, has been observed in the locker room in the past week.
But his presence isn’t a violation, in accordance with Section 3.2.1, Suspension Procedures, of the NFL Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse, which specifically states:
“Additionally, the Player shall be eligible, at the discretion of the Club, to participate in all in-season Club functions, training programs and meetings, but not in any in-season games or practices. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Player may not participate with his team in joint press conferences with team officials on or off Club premises.”
Smith is eligible to be activated from the reserve/suspended list on Sept. 29, the day after the Chiefs’ Monday night game against the Green Bay Packers.
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Herbie Teope is the lead Chiefs beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @HerbieTeope.
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