Troy Reeder is changing teams, but he won’t be changing stadiums.
That’s because Reeder, the Salesianum and University of Delaware star, is signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers less than two months after he helped the Los Angeles Rams win a Super Bowl.
A source confirmed the news Saturday. Pro Football Network was the first to report it.
But for Reeder, who’s a linebacker, SoFi Stadium won’t be the only thing that’ll be familiar to him.
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Reeder will reunite with former UD teammate Nasir Adderley, who’s a safety for the Chargers. He’ll also reunite with head coach Brandon Staley, who was the Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2020 before taking the Chargers’ head coaching job in 2021.
Reeder was unavailable for comment Saturday.
But last fall, he told the Delaware Online/The News Journal that he was a big fan of Staley’s when asked about the impact Staley is having on Adderley’s game.
“I learned a lot playing for (Staley) and thought (Adderley) would benefit in the same way,” Reeder said then. “I’m happy to see both having success.”
Adderley was the Chargers’ second-round pick in 2019. That year, Reeder signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent. Reeder not only made the team out of training camp, but he started at least seven games in each of his three seasons.
Reeder had 81 tackles and three sacks in 2020 with Staley as the defensive coordinator, while starting seven of the 16 games. Last season, Reeder started 10 of 17 games and had a career-high 91 tackles, along with two sacks.
The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl. Reeder had two tackles and played 34% of the snaps in the 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13.
Before the game, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris raved about Reeder’s play this past season.
“We’re talking about a very productive player for us that has been able to go out there and play in almost every situation,” Morris said. “One of my favorite players, man. He’s loved around here. And he’s loved by all of our coaches and everyone involved.”
The Rams, however, didn’t tender Reeder a contract as a restricted free agent, making him an unrestricted free agent. That meant he could sign with any team and the Rams would not receive compensation for losing him.
The Rams recently signed longtime Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner to go along with Ernest Jones, the Rams’ third-round pick in 2021.
Reeder might have a chance to start with the Chargers in Week 1, and he can indirectly thank the Eagles for that.
That’s because the Eagles signed linebacker Kyzir White, who had started all 17 games for the Chargers last season and had 144 tackles.
But the Chargers didn’t have enough space on the salary cap to sign White to a long-term deal after trading for Khalil Mack, signing cornerback J.C. Jackson and re-signing star wide receiver Mike Williams.
The Chargers finished 9-8 last season, missing the playoffs after an overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale.
Reeder can share his Super Bowl experience with his new teammates.
“It was an unbelievable moment,” Reeder said after the game. “It’s something you dream about for so long. It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get when you get to truly live it.”
No doubt, Reeder would love to live it again for the other Los Angeles team.
Other Delawareans on the move
This has been a busy offseason for players with Delaware ties.
In addition to Reeder, safety Duron Harmon (Caesar Rodney) signed a one-year deal with the Raiders, offensive lineman Matt Gono (Wesley College) signed with the Giants, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (Hodgson, UD) signed with the Raiders, quarterback Joe Flacco (UD) re-signed with the Jets, and wide receiver David Sills (Red Lion/Eastern Christian) re-signed with the Giants.
In addition, Middletown star wide receiver Chris Godwin re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, getting a three-year deal worth as much as $60 million, with $40 million guaranteed.
Eagles add an Olympian at WR
The Eagles signed wide receiver Devon Allen on Friday. Allen last played football in 2016 at the University of Oregon. He has gone to both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics as a hurdler. He finished 5th in the 110 hurdles in 2016 and 4th in 2021.
The Eagles signed Allen after watching his Pro Day at Oregon recently. Allen reportedly ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash. He’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot this summer.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
