Three reasons why Eric Reid is a great signing for the Carolina Panthers

ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Todd Gurley #30 of the St. Louis Rams is stopped by Eric Reid #35 of the San Francisco 49ers as he carries the ball in the fourth quarter at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Todd Gurley #30 of the St. Louis Rams is stopped by Eric Reid #35 of the San Francisco 49ers as he carries the ball in the fourth quarter at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) /
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They desperately needed him

I will not sugarcoat things. The Carolina Panthers desperately need help at the safety position. With Da’Norris Searcy out and Colin Jones not performing, it would be fair to say that safety is the worst position on the Panthers defense.

Jones statistically had his worst week of the season against the Bengals last week. He gave up two touchdowns and per Pro Football Focus, he had a game to forget. Jones finished with a 34.9 defensive grade. That was a far cry from his 65.6 grade against the Falcons the week before. If nothing else, that represents a sharp decline in performance.  At the very least what this does for Jones is put him on notice that his job far from safe.

To finish off the 2017 season, Reid had a 91.6 defensive grade per Pro Football Focus. Against a high-powered Rams offense, that is pretty darn good. The Panthers need a skilled safety who can cover, particularly in an NFC South filled with weapons. Now that they have filled their weakness on paper at least, this defense is even more scary.

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