The San Francisco 49ers new regime turned over quite a bit of the roster this offseason. One player who stuck around is SS Eric Reid. Reid says, "I feel like I was made for this position."
San Francisco 49ers' team reporter Keiana Martin watched as the team's strong safety, Eric Reid, talked about his new role during a 49ers' press conference earlier today. New defensive coordinator Robert Saleh also spoke some about Reid. The press conference seemed to bring a new layer of excitement to the fifth-year safety's prospects for the upcoming season.
"I love it," Reid said. "Being around the ball more, I anticipate making more tackles and hopefully making more plays. I feel like I was made for this position with my body type being a bigger safety. So, I'm excited about this year."
Saleh's aggressive style should suit Reid well if the defensive coordinator is right about his pupil.
"Eric is unbelievable from a mental standpoint," Saleh said. "He's very smart, able to absorb a lot of information. He's very long, very athletic. He's strong. He's capable of doing a lot of things down there in the box. I'm excited about Eric."
So, both Reid and Saleh are excited.
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Martin also pointed out some interesting things about Reid. Reid had 57 consecutive games played until he tore his bicep in Week 11 last season. Despite concussions and all, Reid has been a steady presence in the team's secondary. Martin also pointed out the safety's career statistics and said that he "should have ample opportunity to add to those numbers in 2017."
Even though Reid has been steady, his performance has not. Since his Pro Bowl caliber rookie season, Reid has been up-and-down. But the 49ers' new starting quarterback Brian Hoyer offered some optimism, saying:
"You have players that can make plays," Hoyer said. "Eric Reid is playing that (Seattle Seahawks Safety) Kam Chancellor role really well."
Reid's final statement seemingly says it all, though, and the former LSU Tiger finally seems to feel at home on the 49ers.
"I feel like I'm just using what God has blessed me with more, which is my size, being in the box and in the run game," Reid added.
These developments come in light of rumors about Reid's future with the team that surfaced not too long ago.