Familiarity can be an underrated deciding factor when NFL free agents are deciding where to play their next season.
The New York Jets are already mentally prepared for the loss of star cornerback D.J. Reed. The seven-year veteran and three-year New York star all but said he was ready for a new team when asked about free agency at the end of the season.
As Reed considers his next challenge, there's a familiar face taking over a defensive coordinator position for a team the 28-year-old already played for once before. Could that help sway the consensus top free-agent cornerback's thinking?
On Thursday, Mike Jones of The Athletic predicted that's exactly what would happen. Jones tabbed Reed for a reunion with the San Francisco 49ers, who just welcomed back ex-Jets head coach Robert Saleh for his second stint as the team's DC.
"The 49ers could wind up losing Charvarius Ward to free agency, so John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan may place a high priority on addressing the secondary. Reed makes a lot of sense," wrote Jones.
"He spent the last three seasons with the Jets, playing under Robert Saleh, now the 49ers defensive coordinator, and should be able to make a seamless transition while serving as the lockdown corner San Francisco needs."
Reed was drafted by the 49ers in 2018 and spent the first two years of his career there before getting waived. He then began steadily building his credentials, playing two solid years for the Seattle Seahawks and signing with the Jets, for whom he became a standout performer.
Saleh was the 49ers' defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020 before taking the Jets job, so he's seen more of Reed than any coach in the sport. Now that Reed is available for Saleh to reclaim, it's likely the 49ers' DC will have put in several good words by now with upper management.
As for the Jets, they wouldn't necessarily love to see two of their own succeeding on the opposite coast, but they don't exactly have much say in the matter.
