St. Louis Rams Sign Former Florida State Star Greg Reid

April 14, 2012; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (1) reaches for a pass as cornerback Greg Reid (5) defends during the first half of the Florida State spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Two weeks into the free agency period the St. Louis Rams have finally made their first move that wasn’t merely a re-signing. With that first pickup of the offseason, the Rams did not opt for a veteran, nor a young stud on the rise. Instead, the Rams signed Greg Reid, a former Florida State/Valdosta State stud, whose college career fell prey to injury and off-the-field controversy, which eventually lead to his dismissal from the Seminoles’ program.

However, if you can gloss over the ACL injuries and the non-football “red flags,” the undersized corner put together quite the resume as a Seminole. In his stint at FSU, Reid was a force all over the field, including being named the Defensive MVP for his  2010 Chick-a-fila Bowl performance.

Fully recovered from his second knee surgery in two years, the one-time game charger accompanied several of his former coaches and teammates at the FSU Pro Day on March 18. According to several on-site scouts, Reid was actually one of the more impressive defensive backs on the workout. Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher was one of many that spoke highly of Reid, “That’s as instinctive and one of the best football players I’ve ever been around. I think if somebody gets him in camp, they’re going to be very happy.” Following his Pro Day workout, Reid spoke candidly about the experiences leading up to the 2014 offseason.

Obviously, Jeff Fisher and Les Snead were impressed.

At 5’8 tall, Reid will likely be limited to the nickelback role in the St. Louis Rams defense. However, assuming he is back to his old form, the darkhorse corner does possess 4.4 speed, with excellent ball tracking instincts. Moreover, Reid was not afraid to make his presence felt against the run, and was one of the most dynamic returnmen at the college level.

While the signed has not been “officially” announced by the team, it is unlikely that the Rams invested much to acquire the services of the  one-time FSU phenom. However, if he can maintain his health and show his wares during the 2014 offseason workout programs, Reid could be one of the more underrated free agent signings of the offseason.