Seahawks D-line, locker room could use more Jarran Reed

As the Seahawks’ season went on, a big, gregarious number 90 kept getting a larger role in the postgame celebrations after wins.

He was giving out game balls and pep talks. The 32-year-old defensive tackle during his ninth NFL season and second Seattle go-round became the players’ locker-room fave. His coach’s, too.

It was another sign of how Mike Macdonald sees Jarran Reed’s value to his defense and team.

That was in 2024.

Is re-signing Reed part of the Seahawks’ plan for their defensive line that will feature Pro Bowl veteran Leonard Williams and emerging star Byron Murphy in 2025?

Macdonald said Wednesday he’d love for Reed to be back. The coach said Reed’s return is a viable possibility for a team that two weeks before he would enter free agency is $6.5 million over the NFL salary cap.

“Absolutely,” Macdonald said off the podium in a corner of the Indiana Convention Center at his first NFL combine as a head coach.

Asked by The News Tribune whether at this point he thinks Reed will be back to the team that drafted him in 2016, Macdonald said: “I certainly hope so.

“I mean, I’m confident on how J-Reed feels about us. And he knows how we feel about him.”

It’s not as easy as want-to, though.

The question with Reed, who just finished a two-year, $9 million contract, isn’t about productivity. He had 4 1/2 sacks with 15 quarterback hits last season, the latter number the second-highest of his NFL career. His 11 quarterback knockdowns were the most since 12 in his rookie season with the Seahawks nine years ago. He missed just 2.2% of his tackle chances. That was the best missed-tackle rate of his career.

And he did all that while playing just 60% of snaps in Macdonald’s defensive-line rotation.

But the head coach and defensive architect reiterated Tuesday he wants to create more opportunities for Murphy. Seattle’s first-round draft pick last year dominated teammates in training-camp scrimmaging. He dominated preseason opponents. He mauled the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line in the Seahawks’ joint practices with them in Nashville last August.

But then Murphy played only 49% of the team’s defensive snaps in his rookie season.

That number is likely to — no, needs to — approach or surpass 60% this year.

Plus, the Seahawks are hoping for a surge from Mike Morris entering the often-injured defensive lineman’s third NFL season with the team. They also are seeking a healthier season with more productivity from Cameron Young. The nose tackle and 2023 fourth-round pick played in just one game last season because of a knee injury.

That could lower the need for Reed at defensive tackle. It may be why nose tackle Johnathan Hankins, who turns 33 next month and is also a pending free agent, may not be back with the Seahawks in 2025.

But Maconald, echoing his predecessor and fellow defensive guru Pete Carroll, also said he can never have enough defensive linemen.

“Yeah. I mean, I’d love to see those guys come on. But there’s going to be great competition in our D-line, because you only put four out there for the most part when it’s pass rush opportunity,” Macdonald said Wednesday. “The best four need to stack those reps so they can rush at a high level.

“It takes a lot. There’s a lot of unspoken chemistry that it takes to rush four as a unit, and you got to stack those reps.

“Again, the D-line room, man, you can never have a deep enough D-line. You’re never going to go into the season like, ‘Yep, we’re good D-line.’”

Seahawks coaches think they are way good with Murphy in the middle of the defense. The dynamic, strong, quick former Texas Longhorn played nose tackle, three-technique tackle and even some end last season in his NFL debut.

“I mean, he’s such a good a gap player, especially at zero (technique), at nose. He’s earned more pass rush reps than he has,” Macdonald said.

“It’s just how and other guys have earned those reps, too. So that’s something we’re going to be focused on. Cool thing about Byron is you can play both gaps. You can play all those different techniques and play on the move and in pass rush. I mean, just a heck of a player. So we’ll see how it goes. We love J-Reed. We loved Hank.

“And, say everybody’s back: We’ll figure out ways to get more opportunities.”