PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a Super Bowl Champion Bronco and long-time NFL analyst telling The PM Team trading for outside linebacker Malik Reed is ‘a heck of a move’ by the Steelers.
Mark Schlereth, 12-year NFL lineman and current radio talk show host and former ESPN analyst, told 93.7 The Fan Reed is a player Denver should have kept. He watches him every game and he’s a player who has just performed that can flat out rush the passer.
The stats would back that up, in just 34 starts, 45 games overall, Reed has 15 career sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and four passes defended. In the last two seasons when he’s played about 75% of the defensive snaps, he has 12 of his sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits. He also has the ability to drop back in coverage and be effective there.
“Malik Reed is a very productive player and every time he gets an opportunity,” Schlereth told the PM Team. “He just goes out and flat makes plays. I was on the radio today saying ‘they can’t move him, it would be a mistake’. Low and behold they do it.”
“You got a hell of a football player. I guy who will be productive every time he gets the opportunity.”
Lineman to lineman
A veteran of 156 NFL games and watcher of thousands more, Schlereth told 93.7 The Fan he thinks Jesse Davis can be a valuable member of the Steelers offensive line. The Steelers traded a future seventh round pick to Minnesota to acquire the 6’6”, 318-pound guard/tackle.
“He’s one of those guys that can play multiple positions,” Schlereth said. “One of the reasons he’s valuable in the NFL is because you can put him in at right tackle, you can put him in at right guard, you can put him at left guard. He’s a versatile player.”
“Is he a great or dominant player? No. But, he’s not going to hurt you from a mental mistake standpoint. He’s going to be where he is supposed to be.”
“Is he challenged somewhat athletically? Probably. Jesse Davis is a good player.”
Schlereth did caution Davis is best served as a back-up. Like a baseball utility player who could fill in for a few games, but you don’t want him to be the everyday starter.
Pro Football Focus had Davis rated as one of the worst in the league last year, behind Dan Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor, even though he started 16 games for Miami, 72 in his five seasons with the Dolphins.