Seahawks 2021 Offseason Position Preview: Defensive Tackle

Even with uncertainty surrounding the future of Jarran Reed, the Seahawks should feel fairly comfortable about their defensive tackle situation in comparison to some of their other positions as of now. With potential to get even deeper with some of the young talent they have in house, Seattle may not have to do much to improve heading into the offseason.

Cam Akers and the Rams’ rushing attack put a damper on a really solid season for the Seahawks’ defense in the trenches. Before Akers exploded for 131 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Los Angeles’ 30-20 wild-card win, Seattle had finished fifth in the NFL in opponent rushing yards per game (99.6) and posted the best regular season run defense grade (80.5) by Pro Football Focus’s metrics.

It was quite a shock to the system for a unit that, despite all their struggles along the way, had at least one thing to hang their hat on at the end of the day. While their success against the run last year certainly goes well beyond the work of their defensive tackles, the group headlined by Jarran Reed and Poona Ford served as one of the better interior duos in the league. Of course, teams like the Bills almost completely ignoring the ground game in favor of attacking a secondary that was historically bad for the first half of the season also helped the Seahawks’ numbers versus the run, but they should still feel pretty good about where they’re at heading into the offseason.

There is, however, a decent chance the group looks at least slightly different heading into 2021. With Ford a restricted free agent this offseason and Reed entering the final year of his contract at a hefty price point, the Seahawks don’t have a clear long-term solution at the position for now and may need to subtract from it in order to address other needs along the roster with the immediate future at the forefront of their minds.

What We Know

Seahawks fans shouldn’t be too concerned about what will happen with Ford this offseason. Despite their salary cap limitations, they should be more than able to afford the first or second-round tender they’ll likely have to place on him. Teams may still extend an offer to Ford if they wish, though they would have to give Seattle the draft pick compensation tied to the tender if he agrees to sign and the Seahawks choose not to match. As good as Ford was in 2020, it’s hard to see any team giving up that kind of capital this offseason.

Reed, however, may not be as much of a lock to play for the Seahawks in 2021. Although he’s been the team’s best interior pass-rush option, ending last season (including playoffs) with 8.5 sacks, the former second-round pick out of Alabama currently carries a whopping $13.9 million salary cap hit. For a team that has a plethora of needs elsewhere and not a ton of cap space to work with, shaving some of that off could be appealing to them. Whether they trade or cut him, Over the Cap puts Seattle’s potential savings at nearly $9 million with a dead cap hit of $5 million.

Though it would help from a financial standpoint, parting ways with Reed isn’t entirely sensical. At that price and with just one year left of club control, the Seahawks shouldn’t expect to come away with much if they are able to trade him—and that is a fairly big ‘if.’ There’s also the obvious matter of simply losing a good player at a premium position with an ability to get to the quarterback.

Seattle does have some depth at the spot it feels encouraged by. Bryan Mone was a player that really flashed at times in 2020 and Cedrick Lattimore is an exciting project to keep an eye on after an impressive debut in the team’s wild-card loss. Also on the roster is 2020 undrafted rookie free agent Myles Adams, who began his career with the Panthers.

What We Don’t Know

Much like the Carlos Dunlap situation with Seattle’s defensive end unit, a potential Reed departure could turn one of the team’s strengths into more of a need. But with Ford expected to return, that need would certainly not be as pressing as the one out on the edge if Dunlap moves elsewhere.

Considering the depth they have, the Seahawks may not have to do a whole lot at the position this offseason if Reed does stay. However, both he and Ford are just one year away from unrestricted free agency, leaving Seattle with questions about the long-term.

If Lattimore proves to consistently be as solid as he was against the Rams last month, that would definitely help. And aside from the post-2021 implications of what a potential Lattimore breakout could entail, finding another dependable tackle to rotate behind Ford, Mone, and possibly Reed would be a nice luxury to have. But those are ultimately hopes built off of one game, offering warranted doubt about where the team stands at defensive tackle whether or not changes come at the top.

What to Expect

No matter what happens, I’d expect the Seahawks to add at the position in a small way through free agency and/or at the back end of the draft. They’ve been fairly aggressive on cheaper veteran rotational pieces on the open market for some time and while names like Tom Johnson and Damon Harrison didn’t pan out the way they hoped, it’d be surprising to not see them at least kick the tires on a few players that fit that mold.

Right now, however, the Seahawks should feel fairly pleased with where they’re at. Preparing to see a decent amount of their starters all over their roster hit unrestricted free agency this March, they’re likely grateful to have some semblance of security at the position. Even if significant changes do come, there should be confidence they can at least field a league-average unit or better moving forward.

Seahawks Offseason Position Previews

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receiver

Tight End

Offensive Line

Defensive End

Linebacker