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Malik Reed On Upcoming NFL Season: 'I Don't Think There Will Be Drop-Off At All' In Level Of Play

(CBS4)- The NFL offseason has not been the one that players and fans alike expected. With the spread of the coronavirus, the league has been forced to go virtual for everything from pro days for prospects to the draft next week to giving out playbooks and checking in with players OTAs virtually.

For second-year Denver Broncos outside linebacker Malik Reed, he already didn't know what to expect this offseason as it was his first real one as a full-time NFL player. With social distancing guidelines in place and recommendations that Americans stay at home or at least away from large groups, training can be a challenge. For Reed, he has been able to continue working with the team's strength and conditioning coach, Loren Landow, outside following all of the proper protocols.

"It's just figuring it out as you go on. For us, we have people here in town because our got strength and conditioning coach, he has a facility, and we can do the speed training and stuff like that, outside," said Reed. "We get a lot of guys to do that training outside, following social distancing guidelines of course, and still get some good work in."

Denver Broncos v Indianapolis Colts
Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Outside of the traditional training, Reed says the main thing players can't really work on at the moment is the technical side of things. But, this early in the offseason, he says the coaching staff is usually slowly beginning to walk the team through the playbook so not much has been missed to this point. And he doesn't believe that fans will see a noticeable drop-off on the field if and when the 2020 season begins.

"This is a professional league and I feel like everybody is going to see it as this is just how you have to go about your business whether we're all together, or not," said Reed. "Guys are gonna come in ready and I don't think it will be a drop-off at all."

When he's not training, Reed says his downtime has mostly been spent with his fiance, reading books (they just got done reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life), watching movies (they recently watched Spies in Disguise) and going for walks together. The time together has been nice because as Reed puts it, his rookie year was a bit of a whirlwind.

"With last year going by so fast, it's been nice to get some time to rest and refresh a bit," said Reed. "This is really the most time that we have had together in the last year."

A crazy first year is a bit of an understatement for Reed who went from undrafted free agent out of Nevada to starting at outside linebacker for the Broncos across from Von Miller after Bradley Chubb went down with an injury. For him, he says he was just staying prepared for when his opportunity came, it just happened to come earlier than expected.

"I was preparing the same way as if I was preparing to start and come in right away," said Reed. "Made sure I was ready for the opportunity whenever it presented itself. I'm thankful that God blessed me with the opportunity to be able to come in and play so much and play so early. I know that's not the usual path and process."

"I've learned I learned so much with being out there on the field and being able to make mistakes and learn from them and good things to," continued Reed. "To be able to look back on film and see what I was doing well and what I can improve."

Denver Broncos v Los Angeles Chargers
Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

It didn't hurt for Reed to be lined up across from the man that many consider to be among the best pass rushers of the era in Von Miller. Reed says it was huge for him to watch how Miller approached the game and some of the little nuances he picks up on.

"He is the guy that is studying the tackles, watching the center and how he moves before he snaps the ball," said Reed. "It's just little intricacies of the game that you wouldn't otherwise know that can help you take your game to the next level. He is dialed in to those things and that is something I definitely picked up on."

The first year for Reed was also the first year for the team's head coach Vic Fangio who took over following defensive coordinator stints with the 49ers (2011-14) and Bears (2015-18). Reed describes Fangio as an old school coach, one that makes sure the team is getting everything they can out of practice. And he believes the team laid the right foundation of culture last year to be able to build off that going into a new season in 2020.

While the team looks to improve from its 6-10 record, Reed is also constantly looking to improve his game. He knows his role may not be the same this season, but that isn't going to stop him from pushing forward and trying to progress.

"Now that I have a year under my belt in the system, the goal is to go out and play more free, to not have to think so much. " said Reed. "I really want it to be second nature. That way I can go out and keep taking steps, keep moving forward, continue to progress. If you don't progress, you stay stagnant, you get complacent and that's the enemy of being better."

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