Redskins TE Jordan Reed spent the offseason changing his off-field habits to help him stay longer on the field.
"It’s out of anybody’s control whether they get hurt or not," Reed said. "Anything can happen on any play. But it is in my control to make sure I’m doing extra to make sure I can stop the nagging injuries from getting worse."
That means altering his eating habits. Reed said he’s eating all healthy foods. That means: no bread, no fried food, (mostly) no sweets. Just grilled chicken or baked chicken. "Just real clean," Reed said.
That’s Part 1. The other part is stretching more. As Reed walked off the field this week, he carried a green elastic band that he uses during breaks on the sidelines, slipping it around his ankles for stretching exercises. He stretches three times a day, with more serious intent. "I used to stretch, but only a little bit before practice," Reed said. "Now I’m in the training room every chance I get. I’m in there at least three or four times a day, usually one of the last guys to leave the facility. Just making sure."
He’ll stretch, work on his quads and glutes. He wants to keep those areas strong to help prevent knee injuries. "I’m excited, I feel it will be a good year for me," Reed said. "I’ll be able to play all 16 games."
When healthy, Reed has averaged 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats over the past two seasons. This extrapolates to low-end TE1 numbers and he's certainly a worthy start when he's healthy enough to play. Heading into camp, he said his knee feels great after an offseason stem cell treatment. His ADP is currently in the 13th/14th round, so he's a low risk pick. It's great to hear that he has focused on staying healthy this offseason.