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Reed will start Monday against Cowboys
Associated Press
ASHBURN, Va. -- Andre Reed will get a chance to show he can still play when Washington plays Dallas on Monday night.
"Everybody thought I was gone, that I kind of jumped ship," said Reed, the receiver who signed a reported one-year, $500,000 deal with the Redskins on Tuesday. "The coaches are confident I can step in and do the job, and that's what I'm going to do."
Washington acquired the 16-year veteran after Michael Westbrook went down with a season-ending knee injury Sunday in a 15-10 loss to Detroit. Redskins coach Norv Turner said Irving Fryar will step into Westbrook's starting role, and that Reed will be used in three- and four-wideout sets. Albert Connell is the other starter.
"We looked at him in the preseason, he showed good quickness," Turner said. "He separated from people underneath, and he's obviously an experienced guy. You go with a guy who's played in games, and who's made plays."
Reed did much of that in Buffalo, where he played from 1985 to 1999. He had 941 receptions -- second behind Jerry Rice's NFL record of 1,214 -- and 13,095 receiving yards, the fourth-highest total in NFL history. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection played in four Super Bowls.
He caught 52 passes for 536 yards last season. But his performance was overshadowed by the emergence of Eric Moulds (65 catches, 994 yards, seven touchdowns) and Peerless Price (31 catches, 393 yards, three touchdowns). Reed asked to be released after the season with a year left on his contract, and the Bills put him on waivers with Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas.
Denver signed him. But he again requested a release after the Broncos made him inactive for the opener at St. Louis.
Reed said he felt despondent in the ensuing days. But a phone call from Smith lifted his spirits. Reed and Smith played together for 15 seasons in Buffalo, and Smith signed with the Redskins as a free agent in February.
"After being off for 10 days, I kind of got into that preretirement mode to a certain point," Reed said. "I didn't want to be around football for a while, but Bruce kind of stepped it up for me. He's that kind of person. He's like my family, like my brother. He just told me it's an opportunity I can't pass up. I said, 'Get me a ticket, I'll be there.' "
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Michael Westbrook talks about his season-ending injury.