Eric Reid needs the Seahawks and they need him, especially now
Eric Reid is a really good safety, and the Seahawks need him as much as he needs them. Especially with Earl Thomas holding out.
I’m sure it comes as a deep shock that the status of the Seahawks safeties is a bit unsettled. Kam Chancellor may never play again, and Earl Thomas may never play in Seattle again. I’m not discounting the fact Bradley McDougald is there, not at all. He can play strong or free, which makes him quite valuable. He’s good, but he can’t play both positions at the same time. Which brings us to Eric Reid.
The fact he’s still a free agent shows Reid is nearly as radioactive as his former teammate Colin Kaepernick. That hasn’t stopped Pete Carroll from commenting about Reid. I don’t think anything keeps Pete from saying what he thinks. As reported by Gregg Bell in the News Tribune, Pete Carroll had a lot to say about the former San Francisco 49er:
"“We talk about everybody,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Thursday when asked specifically about Reid at the end of offseason organized team activities.Asked if Reid could compete for a spot on the 2018 Seahawks, Carroll said: “Yeah, I think he could compete. He could do a nice job.”Reid brings “consistency” and is a “hard-nosed, tough guy. Good speed, really good speed.“He’s been a real physical player, for the most part. He’s been a good part of their team.”"
So just how good is Reid? Pro Football Focus ranked him 30th among all safeties for 2017. Given that every team starts two safeties, that ranking tends to make Reid’s point that he’s being frozen out by the league. He clearly has the talent to start, yet can’t get a job.
Do the Seahawks really need Reid?
Now is he as good as Thomas or Chancellor? Don’t be silly. That’s not the point. The point is this: Is Eric Reid better than the players who will replace Thomas or Chancellor? I’d say between him and McDougald, it’s pretty close. Both men have played a lot at both free and strong safety, although Reid seemed to thrive at strong safety, so I’d have him take Chancellor’s spot. At least until (hopefully) Chancellor returns.
Other than McDougald, the next man up for the Seahawks is second year player Delano Hill. He could come through in a big way, but he didn’t exactly set CenturyLink Field on fire as a rookie. I’d be a lot more comfortable having a veteran starting safety in camp than a second year man with five career tackles under his belt. As Pete says, always compete. Bring in Reid, and if Hill beats him for the starting gig, even better.
Seattle Seahawks
Yes, the Seahawks need Reid, especially after this morning’s announcement
Earl Thomas announced today that he’s going to sit out as long as it takes to get a new contract. I’d say that yes, the Seahawks really need Eric Reid on the team. If everything goes perfectly for Seattle, Thomas comes back after a brief holdout. Chancellor is able to make it back by mid-season in perfect health. And suddenly Seattle has the strongest corps of safeties in the league for the playoff push. Nothing wrong with that scenario at all. If things go terribly, they’ll start McDougald and Reid, which looks a lot better than throwing a guy with five tackles into the starting line-up.
According to the wonderful source spotrac.com, Reid made a little over $5.6 million last year in his fifth and final season with San Francisco. He isn’t going to make nearly that amount now, especially as no team has even talked with him.
Much like Brandon Marshall, he’s likely to come pretty cheap. Marshall made it clear he was happy to get the opportunity with the Seahawks. I imagine Reid would feel exactly the same way, especially as he’s had zero offers. Yes, he’s pursuing the collusion case against the NFL with Colin Kaepernick. He’s radioactive, I get it. But if the Seahawks sign him his participation in the collusion case has less standing. Not so radioactive anymore.
And think how pumped he would be to play his old team twice a year. Reminds me of a guy who used to play in Seattle. Eric Reid needs to join the Seahawks now. At worst, signing Reid would send a message to Earl Thomas that Seattle has options as well. I support Thomas in this, but the team needs to do what it can to get him back in the fold.