D.J. Reed, Cornerbacks Continue to Get Job Done For Seahawks

SEATTLE, WA - While they were singing a different tune publicly, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider knew they had a cornerback problem with training camp winding down and the regular season rapidly approaching.

Hoping to have as many as six or seven players partaking in an intense competition for starting roles in camp, injuries and disappointing play prevented such a battle from materializing. Incumbent starter D.J. Reed missed time with a groin injury, while rookie Tre Brown injured his knee in the second preseason game. Meanwhile, free agent signing Ahkello Witherspoon failed to impress as expected and Seattle dealt him to Pittsburgh for a future draft choice.

As a result, Tre Flowers won a starting job by default, while Reed remained in the lineup upon his return from injury. Questions about depth behind them remained, leading Schneider to make a bevy of last-minute moves. First, he traded a seventh-round pick to the Texans for John Reid. Then, he sent a sixth-round pick to the Jaguars for Sidney Jones. Eventually, he signed former Jets starter Bless Austin and claimed Nigel Warrior off waivers from the Ravens.

As Carroll stated following a 51-29 win over the Lions on Sunday, the Seahawks have needed all of those players amid a season where the team has started six different cornerback combinations due to poor play early in the season, injuries, and a COVID-19 outbreak.

"I want to give credit to John [Schneider], going back - when you realize we started landing guys, started getting corners in here, he was concerned about it," Carroll recalled. "And Bless Austin didn't get a chance to play today but he was one of the guys - we brought in a lot of new faces to try to give us some depth at that position. And we needed everybody. We needed everybody today."

Facing an equally short-handed Detroit squad, Reed returned to practice for Seattle after a two-game absence due to COVID-19, only for Jones to test positive on Saturday and join Austin on the reserve/COVID list. As a result, Reid slid into the starting role on the left side and Seattle elevated Michael Jackson from the practice squad less than 24 hours before kickoff as an insurance policy.

It's been that type of a campaign for the Seahawks, who entered Sunday with a 5-10 record and no chance of making the playoffs. They've been forced to play a weekly game of musical chairs in the secondary, as Reed has missed a grand total of three games due to injuries and COVID, Brown tore his patellar tendon in a Week 10 loss, Gavin Heslop suffered a broken leg in Week 14, and Austin and Jones have sat out games with COVID.

Going into the season, cornerback was viewed as a major question mark after former starter Shaquill Griffin bolted in free agency and early returns did nothing to ease those concerns with Reed struggling and Flowers getting exploited by opposing quarterbacks each week.

In the first three games, including losses to the Titans and Vikings, Flowers allowed 14 completions on 16 targets for 208 yards, a touchdown, and a 139.6 passer rating. Meanwhile, Reed didn't seem near as comfortable playing on the left side, allowing 10 receptions for 101 yards, two touchdowns, and a 120.1 passer rating. Shaking things up, Carroll benched and eventually released Flowers in favor of Jones and Reed shifted back to his natural spot at right cornerback in Week 4.

Since that point, even with five different starting combinations along the way, cornerback play has been a rare bright spot in a down season for the Seahawks. Regardless of whose number has been called upon, the team has gotten quality production from everyone on the depth chart.

Back in his element on the right side, Reed has been a shutdown corner in his past 10 games, yielding just 23 receptions on 48 targets (47.9 percent) for 280 yards, no touchdowns, and a 49.0 passer rating. After a couple rough starts replacing Flowers, Jones has rebounded to play fantastic football since Week 6, allowing 21 receptions for just 172 yards, registering six pass breakups, and yielding a respectable 79.9 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks.

Over the past few weeks, Austin and Reid have been forced into action for spot starts, and while they've been far from perfect, they've performed admirably under adverse conditions. This trend continued on Sunday against the Lions when further injuries struck in the middle of the game.

After making at tackle on receiver KhaDarel Hodge at the 10:13 mark in the third quarter, Reid slowly walked off the field and headed to the locker room for evaluation for a possible concussion. Thrust into action for the first time this season, Jackson didn't blink, registering a pair of pass breakups on two targets in coverage, including denying Hodge a touchdown in the red zone midway through the fourth quarter.

In addition to Jackson's surprising play, Reed didn't need any time to shake off the rust after a two-game absence, picking off Lions backup quarterback Tim Boyle twice in the second half and registering an additional pass breakup in coverage. He also added eight tackles on the afternoon.

When asked about Seattle's success employing the "next man up" mentality at cornerback all season long, with Jackson stepping up being the latest example, Reed credited the coaching of Andre Curtis and Deshawn Shead coupled with the preparation of his teammates.

"It goes to coaching. Dre Curtis does a great job getting us to play disciplined, smart football, so credit to him and Shead," Reed remarked. "Also the players, it goes to show what they do. Michael Jackson, he had two PBUs today, so the moment wasn't too big for him."

With just one game left to play, Schneider - assuming he's retained - and the Seahawks will face some difficult choices at the cornerback spot in the offseason. Reed and Jones will both be unrestricted free agents and the team has to decide whether or not they want to invest a long-term deal in either player. Brown also faces a long road coming back from a significant knee injury, which could weigh into the decision-making process on that front.

From a depth perspective, Reid and Heslop will be exclusive rights free agents and Austin will be a restricted free agent, so Seattle could bring any of those players back at an affordable rate if it wishes to. Given how he played on Sunday, Jackson may also return with a chance to compete for a roster spot in camp next August.

While his focus remains on winning Seattle's final game in Arizona and he's not dwelling on his future for now, Reed believes he's done his best to show the organization why he deserves to be brought back. Comfortable in the Pacific Northwest, he's hopeful to remain with the team in 2022 and beyond while providing much-needed stability in the secondary.

"Obviously this year didn't go the way we wanted it to go. For me personally, I feel like I did my best to play consistent, show I'm reliable to my teammates. I definitely want to stay in Seattle, like I love it here, I love the football team, I love the fans. I just love it here. It's a good environment and it's good vibes."