REID SINGS PRAISES OF ROOKIE DB QUARTET
Andy Reid remembers talking to the Kansas City Chiefs at some point last year, back when veterans were getting to know rookies and the season still seemed so far off, and he brought up the San Francisco 49ers under Bill Walsh.
It was 1981 and the 49ers had drafted a quartet of defensive backs that they expected to help right away.
Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, Carlton Williams and Lynn Thomas did so much more.
Together, they helped the 49ers win their first conference championship before beating the Bengals for their first Super Bowl title.
The reason for bringing it up? Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach also drafted four DBs last year.
“I mean, here we sit,” Reid said with a smile.
First-round pick Trent McDuffie, who dealt with a hamstring injury sustained in their opener, emerged as a lockdown corner. Jaylen Watson had a 99-yard pick-six against the Chargers and picked off two in the playoffs.
Josh Williams also intercepted Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the AFC title game, catching the deep throw in the closing minutes after rookie safety Bryan Cook batted it into the air.
“Obviously there was concern,” Reid said, when asked about his rookies playing so much so soon, “but there was an optimism that it can be done. Then the kids, just their work ethic — they showed us this in training camp. They showed it all the way through the season. If they got beat, they came back and fought back.”
Texans introduce Ryans
DeMeco Ryans was a highly sought-after candidate for head coaching jobs in this coaching cycle and had plenty of suitors other than the Houston Texans.
“When it came down to it, there is no place I wanted to be any more than H-town,” he said. “So, it was an easy pick for me. It was a no-brainer to be here, be home.”
Among 10 current players and two dozen former players attending Ryans’ introduction, Houston’s career leading receiver Andre Johnson said, “The league now is going to a place where you have to have a guy who can relate to players, develop players, create those relationships with players and have the belief of the players. And I think DeMeco is the guy for that.”
Notable
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr scored an event-high 31 points in the precision passing contest of the Pro Bowl skills competitions Thursday night to give the AFC an early 9-3 lead over the NFC.
Carr also said he won’t extend the Feb. 15 deadline so Las Vegas can make a trade.
“I don’t think that would be best for me,” said Carr, who has a no-trade clause.