The Seattle Seahawks claimed former San Francisco 49ers cornerback D.J. Reed off waivers. The Niners appeared to place the corner on waivers with the idea that they would re-sign him, but the Seahawks thwarted their plans by claiming Reed.
The cornerback is recovering from a torn pectoral injury and is expected to miss a good portion of the season. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Reed is a strong candidate to compete at nickel cornerback when he recovers from his injury.
“Seahawks claimed DB D.J. Reed off waivers from the 49ers,” Henderson noted. “He suffered a torn pec earlier this summer and isn’t expected to be ready for a while. Physical profile (5-9, 190, 31.5-inch arms) suggests he’s more of a nickelback than an outside cornerback. Fifth-round pick in 2018.”
NBC Sports Matt Maiocco indicated that the Niners were expecting to bring back Reed after he cleared waivers.
“That’s the gamble the 49ers took by exposing D.J. Reed to waivers,” Maiocco noted on Twitter. “He’s expected to be out through at least October after surgery to repair torn pectoral.”
Former NFL corner Eric Crocker approves of the Seahawks’ pickup noting Reed can play both corner and safety.
“Seahawks got a good football player in DJ Reed,” Crocker tweeted. “Can play outside corner, slot and safety and a terrific return man. Nice pick up for Seattle. Also his on field swag has drastically improved since his rookie year lol.”
Reed Played in 16 Games for the 49ers in 2019
While not a starter, Reed played in 16 games last season for the 49ers. It will be worth watching whether he sees the field for the Seahawks this fall in what will be his third NFL season. Seattle still has uncertainty at the position given Quinton Dunbar’s ongoing legal issues.
Claiming Reed is an intriguing move as the Seahawks continue to compete with the 49ers for the NFC West. San Francisco general manager John Lynch appeared to throw a bit of shade at the Seahawks after the team traded for Jamal Adams, indicating the team gave up too much in the deal.
“With Jamal Adams, you saw all the trade capital that they had to give up, which the Seahawks – good for them – they made that decision,” Lynch said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “You also got to pay the man. That’s one of the reasons he’s not in New York. Being up there against it (the cap) with what’s happening with the camp due to the pandemic, it just wasn’t a reality for us.”
Reed Is Expected to Miss the Next 4 to 6 Months
Reed also has experience on special teams returning kicks and could be a factor for the Seahawks in a similar role once healthy. Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith described Reed’s projected recovery timeline as four to six months, putting a return to the field this season in doubt.
“Basically… D.J. Reed’s injury is a 4-6 month recovery,” Smith tweeted. “He could potentially play in 2020 under that timeline, but… this still seems like stashing a young player for the future more than anything else by Seattle.”
Prior to claiming Reed, the Seahawks had two open roster spots but now have room to add one more player. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks add an additional player for training camp as on-field work ramps up.
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Seahawks Land Former 49ers Cornerback