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As Brett posted a few minutes ago, I guess the Texans figured that Ed Reed's opinions, when coupled with his 12 snaps of play against the Cardinals and overall ineffectiveness this season after undergoing hip surgery shortly after signing with the Texans last spring, just weren't worth the trouble.
Cutting ties with the guy who was your premiere free agent addition just eight (8) months ago? These are the kinds of things that happen when a team is in complete freefall.
That said, it's hard to argue with the decision. Reed was outplayed by Shiloh Keo (zuh?), demoted to the point that he was barely on the field, and had started to take his frustrations public. It's not like this was going to get better before it got worse, especially for a team that's 2-7 and perhaps the biggest disappointment in the entire NFL.
For all the (deserved) shots taken at Gary Kubiak for the 2013 season, this is a rather unsightly and large blemish on Rick Smith's record, even with the deal Reed signed being frontloaded so as to not cripple the Texans in 2014 and beyond. Bob McNair should be livid. The question is whether he actually is angry enough to cite this as justification for sweeping change come the offseason.
Take it away in the Comments.
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