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Each year, we like to run a series of posts called "90-in-90." The idea is that we'll take a look at every player on the roster, from the very bottom to the top and break them down a few ways. This roster will certainly change, and some days we'll have more than one so it's not exactly 90 players in 90 days. At this point, it's a name we're keeping around for street cred.
The San Francisco 49ers signed wide receiver David Reed to a reserve/future contract in January, at a time when they signed 12 other players to similar contracts. Reed was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played in 24 games between 2010 and 2012, and then was traded to the Indianapolis Colts on August 21, 2013. He played in seven games with the Colts before being released November 26.
Reed's primary work has been as a kick returner. He has 63 career returns over the last four years, averaging 27.6 yards per return. During that same span, he has six receptions for 68 yards.
For those that don't know how a reserve/future contract works, it is an opportunity to lock up the rights to a player for the following season, before the new league year begins. A player is eligible for such a contract if he was not on a 53-man roster when the previous season ended. The player usually signs a league minimum deal that does not kick in until the start of the next league year. It locks up the player for OTAs and training camp, but with little to no bonus money, he is not guaranteed anything else.
What to expect in 2014:
Reed will get some wide receiver snaps in the preseason, and I'd imagine he'll get chances as a return man. He has no punt return experience, even in college, so we'll see if the team is willing to give him a look there as well. He has no practice squad eligibility, so it is easy to view him as no more than a camp body.
Odds of making the roster:
As a camp body, his odds are somewhere between slim and none. I suppose he could surprise us in the return game, but I think most of us would be pretty shocked if he made the roster. In reality, a guy like Devon Wylie probably has a better chance of hanging around. Wylie has both punt and kick return experience, and with two seasons under his belt, he retains practice squad eligibility. I see almost no reason Reed sticks around.