The Seahawks masterfully negotiated Jarran Reed’s contract

Seahawks signed Jarran Reed to a bigger than expected contract but maybe not as big as it first appears.

Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed experienced a breakout season in 2018, alongside Frank Clark. He registered 51 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss and a pressure rate just shy of 10%. Reed appeared to be on the up, and a future cornerstone on the defensive line for.

However, in 2019 it was a completely different story. He was suspended for the first 6 games following a domestic violence incident. When he finally made it to the field, he was vastly underwhelming for the Seahawks.

In 10 games in 2019, Reed’s stat line read: 28 tackles, 2 sacks, 0 tackles for a loss and a pressure rate just above 5%.

This is a far cry from the player we saw in 2018. Sure, it is fair to say he missed the most important part of the season. He wasn’t able to be at team facilities or really be in any sort of contact with the club during the suspension.

So, joining the team in week 11 and being thrown into the starting role is similar to jumping in the deep end of the pool only having minimal experience swimming. Still, for an experienced player, I expected more.

This is why it surprised me so much when Reed signed a massive 2-year, $23 million contract at the beginning of free agency. I expected something in the ballpark of a 1-year prove-it deal, around $8-$10 million, as did many others.

This morning while going through the 2021 cap space, and seeing Jarran Reeds $13.5 million cap hit, it hurt. It really left me wondering, what Seattle was thinking. So, I did what any logical person would do. I looked into the details of the contract. What I found was that Seattle negotiated this contract to perfection.

Jarran Reed’s contract he signed on March 16th, 2020:

Terms: 2 years, $23 million

Avg Salary: $11.5 million

Gtd: $14.1 million

Cap hits by year:

• 2020: $9.35 million
• 2021: $13.5 million

This all looks rather standard with the ballooned second-year cap hit. However, when I looked deeper, I found that Jarran Reed is actually playing on a 1 year prove-it deal, with a team option in year 2. If Jarran Reed is cut, traded or released after the 2020 season, the team will regain all of the $13.5 million. His contract holds zero dead cap after the season.

Equating what Reed’s contract is for the Seahawks

What this equates to, he is playing on a 1 year prove-it deal for $9.35 million. Right where most of us thought he would be. The team had to make sure this was worthwhile for Jarran Reed. If he succeeds in 2020 in rediscovering his 2018 form, he will be rewarded with a second year at a much more generous cap hit at $13.5 million.

Seattle essentially gave Reed the option, we will pay you this year a modest amount. If you scratch our back, we will scratch yours. You perform up to the standard you set in 2018 and we will pick up your $13.5 million 2021 option.

This keeps the team protected financially and gives Reed a chance for redemption after a down year. Beautifully done, John Schneider.