Seattle Seahawks re-sign Carlos Dunlap; Jarran Reed expected to be released or traded

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8:23 p.m. ET

  • Brady HendersonESPN

SEATTLE – In a major uproar in their line of defense, the Seattle Seahawks pull out Carlos Dunlap and farther from Jarran Reed.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the team is expected to trade or release Reed, which will save nearly $ 9 million on the salary cap. Agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter that Dunlap’s deal runs for two years and is $ 16.6 million with $ 8.5 million guaranteed.

Dunlap, 32, became a free agent when Seattle released him earlier this month, a move that saved $ 14.1 million in cap space, but also left the Seahawks without one of their most impactful defensive linemen.

Dunlap had helped fuel the Seahawks’ dizzying pass rush when he landed in an October trade of the Cincinnati Bengals by recording five sacks and 15 QB hits in nine games, including playoffs. He missed a game with a foot injury that took him through some of his time in Seattle. He had defended six tackles and four passes with the Seahawks.

To ease his trade to Seattle, Dunlap agreed to restructure his contract, on the understanding that the Seahawks would release him and let him test agency for free if the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. That restructuring raised its 2021 limit to an unaffordable $ 14.1 million.

The Seahawks thought when they released Dunlap that they would get the chance to re-sign him for a more team-friendly deal, which they do. One reason his return seemed a possibility was his fondness for the Seahawks. He had gushed openly about the organization after the trade, saying he felt rejuvenated in his new environment.

“I’d love to stay in Seattle as long as they want me,” he said after the Seahawks lost in the wildcard round. “It was very clear what I came here for and what my time frame would be, so now it’s a conversation and I’m open and welcoming to it. You already know how grateful I am to be here. great organization for veterinarians, although I also feel young and fresh as a young player I feel like I have a lot of ball left and I would like to finish it with an organization like this.

“My two goals are still a Super Bowl and 100 sacks, and I haven’t reached either. I didn’t win a playoff game. I think we have the pedigree here to do all that next season, and I would. I love to be a part of it. “

That affection was on display again on Thursday night when he tweeted his reaction to the deal – with teammate Russell Wilson the same thing later.

Dunlap’s 87.5 regular season pockets in his career place him in 12th place among the active players according to Pro Football Reference. He made it to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and 2016. The Bengals were 0-5 in the playoffs while in Cincinnati.

Seattle agreed to two other pass rushers earlier this week, bringing back Benson Mayowa and adding Kerry Hyder. Those two plus Dunlap, LJ Collier, Rasheem Green, Alton Robinson and Darrell Taylor give the Seahawks a deep group of fringe players.

But Reed’s anticipated departure will leave a void in the innermost part of their line of defense.

28-year-old Reed has been a full-time starter since 2017, the year after Seattle chose him from Alabama in the second round. Best known as a run-stuffer in his first two seasons, he then broke out for 10.5 sacks in 2018. He started the 2019 season with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and closed it. years off with two bags. in 10 games.

The Seahawks gave Reed a two-year $ 23 million deal last March, betting he could recapture his 2018 form. He’s been like a bounce-back season with 6.5 sacks in 16 games, but is expected to count nearly $ 14 million by the cap. Continuing with Reed will leave $ 5 million in dead money, whether through exchange or release. The Seahawks only have three choices in next month’s draft (in the second, fourth, and seventh rounds), which gives them an added incentive to find a trading partner for Reed.

He made it clear on Thursday that he was saying goodbye to the Seahawks, writing on Twitter:

Poona Ford, who has started alongside Reed for the past two seasons, was awarded a two-year contract from Seattle as a limited free agent earlier this month. Bryan Mone was tendered as an exclusive rights-free agent. The two other real defensive tackles on Seattle’s roster are Cedrick Lattimore and Myles Adams, sophomores with one game of NFL experience between them.

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