Getty The Seahawks signed Al Woods.
The Seattle Seahawks are continuing their busy offseason by bringing back two familiar defensive linemen. After releasing Carlos Dunlap prior to free agency, the Seahawks were able to re-sign the pass rusher on a more team-friendly two-year, $16.6 million deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Athletic’s Samuel Gold pointed out why it is a major signing for Seahawks general manager John Schneider to pull off after the defensive end was a cap casualty.
“Good job, Seahawks! Carlos Dunlap had a 13% pressure rate last year after the trade from the Bengals,” Gold tweeted. “Love the $$ amount. Definitely worth the $8.3M APY for the two seasons. …Remember: Carlos Dunlap was on contract for $14M in 2021 before he was cut ($0 dead cap). This is a BRILLIANT move by John Schneider. They got him back at a MUCH cheaper rate.”
The Seahawks also added defensive tackle Al Woods to help fill the void of Jarran Reed who the team officially released as another cap casualty. Woods signed a one-year, $3 million contract with a $750,000 signing bonus, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
This marks Woods’ third stint with the Seahawks as the defensive tackle played in Seattle during the 2011 and 2019 seasons. Woods did not play last season, so he will have to shake off a bit of rust heading into 2021. The defensive tackle signed with the Jaguars last offseason before opting out, and Jacksonville released him prior to free agency.
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The Seahawks Released Jarran Reed After He Refused to Restructure His Contract
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks approached Reed about potentially restructuring his contract and the defensive tackle requested an extension. Rapoport added that the conversations went to a “bad place”, and Reed sent a cryptic tweet foreshadowing his release which likely did not help the Seahawks’ ability to trade the defensive tackle.
“The Seahawks are moving on from starting DT Jarran Reed, source said, either in a release or trade,” Rapoport tweeted. “Reed had wanted a long-term deal, but the team hoped for just a conversion for cap space. Talks broke down, and here we are. …Usually, cap conversions for space are easy. But Jarran Reed wanted a long-term commitment instead. When Seattle wouldn’t give it… the situation went to a bad spot. Now, parting ways.”
The Seahawks Have Bolstered Their Defensive Line
The loss of Reed could prove critical, but the Seahawks now have a deep group of players coming off the edge. Seattle also snagged Kerry Hyder away from the Niners who will be the early favorite to start on the opposite side of Dunlap.
Benson Mayowa re-signed with the team as well and the Seahawks are hoping Darrell Taylor can contribute in 2021 after being sidelined for his entire rookie season. The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell noted Seahawks fans should not “rule out” a potential reunion for Reed and the Seahawks. It sounds like there would have to be some repairing in the relationship, and the team adding Woods indicates they are prepared to move on. Dunlap appears happy to be returning to Seattle after facing an uncertain future.
“Year 12 with the 12’s! -Damn Dunlap the Passion Continues… 😏,” Dunlap said on Twitter.