Since the Kansas City Chiefs’ free-agency acquisition of defensive tackle Jarran Reed, there has been a lingering question of how it might impact the usage of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. Reed and Derrick Nnadi together, for example, could make up a formidable interior in their own right, and that could lead to Jones playing more on the outside.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo noted last week that the team has been very much exploring that option during voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), which conclude on Friday.
“Chris is working through that — and he’s been great,” Spagnuolo said at the time. “He’s been here and been part of the whole thing. I think that’s important: when you change a position, it’s just not that easy to pick up a whole new spot — and we do some different things with the defensive ends. So he’ll play out there a little bit — and you know, we’ll move him back inside when we have to.”
Jones was not participating in practice during the media look Thursday, but in times he has been active, Reed has been impressed.
“Chris is a great guy,” said Reed in a Zoom conference call on Thursday. “You can tell that this is his team and I’m just following suit. He’s a great guy, great teammate, funny, he’s a real cool dude. His game is immaculate, it’s self-explanatory how he plays. One of the best there is in the league and of course, we all watch each other and he’s everything he’s done, I see why. He puts in the work and he works hard every day.”
Reed addressed the idea that his presence with the team could push Jones to the outside on more downs.
“I’m not surprised,” Reed noted of Jones’ flexibility. “When you’re that caliber of a player, you should be able to move all along on the defensive line and I’m actually liking that side, stay at 3-technique and he stays a D-end.”
Throughout his brief conference call with the media, Reed commended the defensive line room and specifically highlighted fellow defensive tackle Turk Wharton as a player perhaps not talked about enough.
Reed also said he is looking forward to getting an opportunity to practice with former-and-now-once-again teammate Frank Clark. It has been well documented that both Clark’s and Reed’s best seasons came in 2018 as members of the Seattle Seahawks — when they combined for 23.5 sacks and 79 pressures.
But Clark has yet to be in attendance for any of the voluntary OTA media looks.
“Me and Frank go beyond football,” said Reed. “I think the chemistry’s going to be just fine. I actually think we’ll just probably pick up where we left off from Seattle. I know it’s been a few years, but we’ll see when that part gets here.”
It appears that will be next week — on Tuesday when the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp begins.