There were many people who wondered aloud that there might be a backlash for any team that signed Eric Reid, some hypothetical wave of protests that would be “bad for business.”
But in Charlotte, even the guy who got fired because of him supports the move.
The corresponding transaction for the Panthers addition of Reid was to release cornerback Lorenzo Doss, but he seemed to understand the importance of the day.
Reid and Colin Kaepernick’s collusion suit against the NFL made it reasonable to wonder if any team would be willing to sign him. But the reaction in Carolina has been largely positive, because the football team needed a player who does what he does. Even local sports talk radio callers — far from the Algonquin Round Table on the best of days — have been extremely supportive of the decision.
The Panthers brought Reid in because of their football need (though they wouldn’t have always been able to have made such a decision). And while Kaepernick might not find a team willing to take the same chance, the lack of response in a conservative Southern city should be instructive.
