Seahawks Pre-OTAs Roster Reset: Safeties
Though the 2023 season remains months away, the NFL never sleeps. And after landing a new 10-player draft class, the Seattle Seahawks have transitioned into phase two of their offseason program with OTAs and minicamps just around the corner.
After playing without dynamic defender Jamal Adams for most of the 2022 season, the Seahawks expect to have the former LSU star back in action alongside Quandre Diggs to give their secondary a jolt. In addition, the front office made adding versatile insurance at the position a priority by signing ex-Giants starter Julian Love in free agency and investing a sixth-round pick in Jerrick Reed II in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Transitioning from the frenzy of free agency and the draft to on-field offseason work, where do things stand for Seattle at safety? Here's a look at projected starters, backups, a wild card to watch, and what could come next at the position:
Don't miss our roster resets for other positions:
Projected Starters: Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams
On paper, Seattle should have one of the best safety tandems in the sport and Diggs and Adams have been paid accordingly with top-10 salaries at the position. If both players stay healthy, they are disruptive play-makers worthy of such investments and the defense will instantly improve from a year ago by default.
However, Adams has not been able to stay on the field since being acquired via trade from the New York Jets before the 2020 season, missing more than 20 regular season games with groin, shoulder, and knee injuries. Coming back from a torn quad tendon that cost him all but one game a year ago, the former All-Pro will aim to bounce back and prove he can return to prior form as an elite defender with a unique set of skills to deploy. If he looks like a shell of his former self, that will present a major problem for the team moving forward. But if he's the No. 33 of old, that's a game changer for Clint Hurtt and company.
As for Diggs, the Seahawks should feel much better about his outlook heading into 2023. After a somewhat slow start in his return from a fractured ankle, he intercepted four passes in the final seven games of the regular season, including a crucial overtime interception against the Rams in the season finale to help lock up a playoff spot. Back to his usual ball-hawking ways and chirping in the secondary, he made his third straight Pro Bowl and remains on the hunt for his first All-Pro selection.
Backups: Julian Love, Jerrick Reed II, Joey Blount, Christian Young, Ty Okada, Jonathan Sutherland
Initially viewed as a bit of a surprising move, the Seahawks aggressively courted Love, a versatile do-it-all defensive back with extensive NFL experience at both safety positions as well as the slot. After signing him to a two-year deal in free agency, coach Pete Carroll has made it clear that the team expects the former Notre Dame star to play substantial snaps alongside Adams and Diggs with nickel and dime packages potentially becoming the base scheme. OTAs will provide the first opportunity to see where the newcomer fits into plans.
Continuing to stockpile depth with positional flexibility, Seattle used one of its late round selections on Reed, an under-the-radar prospect from New Mexico who enjoyed four strong seasons in the Mountain West conference. Another player who has played both safety spots as well as handled nickel duties, he will likely open his career as a special teams contributor with a chance to develop into a situational defender in time and his elite athletic traits give him a chance to stick around.
Returning for a second season after earning a spot on the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent signing last year, Blount will look to take a significant step forward as a potential heir apparent in waiting to Diggs at free safety. Without a spot for him in the lineup defensively in the present, special teams will remain his calling card on kick and punt coverage with Reed's arrival upping pressure on him to keep his roster spot.
Signed as undrafted free agents, Young, Okada, and Sutherland will likely be camp bodies with a chance to play their way into practice squad roles in August.
Wild Cards: Reed, Blount
Since the Seahawks don't necessarily know what to expect from Adams once he returns to the field coming back from a severe leg injury and Ryan Neal now finds himself in Tampa Bay, Reed and Blount need to be prepared for a potential role as a third safety early in the season.
Having played one season in Seattle's scheme and benefiting from another full offseason to get stronger in the weight room, Blount has an inherent advantage over Reed and drew strong reviews from Carroll and Diggs during the course of his rookie season. An instinctive player who intercepted nine passes in his college career at Virginia, he has the natural ball skills and underrated athleticism to play free safety or the big nickel role in a pinch.
As for Reed, though he's only 5-9, he packs a mean punch at 192 pounds and plays a more violent brand of football, which could cater better towards playing the strong safety position in Seattle's defense. Possessing legitimate 4.4 speed and plenty of ball skills of his own, including forcing 10 pass breakups as a senior for the Lobos, he shouldn't be counted out as a candidate to fill in for Adams if he impresses throughout the spring into training camp.
What's Next?
Health permitting, the Seahawks shouldn't have to make any more significant moves at safety with Diggs and Adams entrenched as starters and Love set to take on a major role in a hybrid role in the secondary. Even after losing Neal to the Buccaneers, depth behind them looks strong with Blount and Reed offering intrigue as developmental players at the position.
In the short term, Adams likely won't be able to participate at all during the team's offseason program, opening the door for Blount, Reed, and undrafted free agents to receive the bulk of the reps this spring and position themselves for success once training camp arrives.
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