Washington tight end Jordan Reed turned heads last season when he posted a career-high 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 14 games.
Now that veteran tight end Vernon Davis has been added to the mix, Reed had nothing but positive things to say about working with him this upcoming season, per John Keim of ESPN.
“He’s always been a real athletic guy and a great pass-catcher and now I’m starting to see his blocking. He’s always been a great tight end. I’m excited.”
“It’s going to be hard to stop, especially when we get Niles [Paul] in the mix. It’ll be hard to stop.”
Reed must be thinking about Davis’ prime years when the tight end was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2013 after posting 13 touchdowns in each of these two seasons.
Unfortunately, Davis arrives to Washington after having recorded only 38 catches for 395 yards and zero touchdowns during his uneventful, split season between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Whether Davis, at 32 years-old, can rebound into the stud playmaker we witnessed in seasons past remains to be seen.
In discussing his own past season, Reed only wants to improve, especially in his blocking skills, per the report.
“I could be more consistent in certain situations and I feel I can always get better at my route running and create more separation and get way better as a blocker.”
One thing that can be said about Washington’s offense is that quarterback Kirk Cousins shouldn’t have any shortage of explosive receivers. The addition of Davis to Reed and Paul, coupled with up-and-coming wideout Jamison Crowder, veterans DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon gives Cousins a tremendous arsenal to utilize this upcoming season.