Source: The #Chiefs are signing S Justin Reid, per me and @TomPelissero
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2022
Another safety off the board, but this time it’s not all bad for the New Orleans Saints. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Houston Texans safety Justin Reid intends to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. From the Saints’ perspective, this carries positive and negative consequences.
Reid was another safety we listed as one of the potential replacements for pending free agent Marcus Williams. Now, two safeties can be crossed off of that list with Reid headed to the Chiefs and Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs taking a multiyear deal to stay in Seattle. Less than a handful of other options, including in-house free agent P.J. Williams remain available.
The good news for New Orleans, however, is two-fold. First, Marcus Williams continues to see his possible landing spots outside of New Orleans decrease. Second, the Chiefs signing Reid signals the upcoming departure of star safety Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu has been linked to the Saints on more than one occasion throughout the offseason thus far.
If the Saints were to lose Williams in free agency, which may require him to drop his asking price, a Mathieu homecoming would make sense. The New Orleans native won’t be a one-for-one replacement of Williams as a single-high safety. But playing more split-safety coverages would be no chore for Dennis Allen’s defense which has always deployed multiple looks in the secondary.
Now that Reid is a Chief, Mathieu’s availability becomes clear. Pending the situation around Williams, the Saints may have their crosshairs keenly set to the former LSU star. Not to mention he may not be the only returning Louisianan in Saints free agency, with the team pursuing former LSU Tigers wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
