For Pete's Sake: Critical observations from the Seahawks preseason week 3 loss
One safety moved up the Seahawks ladder, while another moved down
Jerrick Reed II and Joey Blount have clearly switched pecking order in the Hawks backfield. For the third week in a row, Reed made some big plays while Blount had virtually no impact on the game. Granted, in most contests neither are playing against starters, but that still levels the playing field for them head to head.
First, let's look at Blount's performances. Let's just say he's looked nothing like Hall of Famer Mel Blount. All of his 175 snaps in 2022 were on special teams, and he made eight tackles. Now I realize Blount is listed as a free safety and Reed is at strong safety. But considering that Coby Bryant is clearly the established next man up at free safety, that puts Blount on notice. So far this preseason, Blount manged just one tackle, and that was in the final contest versus the Packers.
Compare that to what Jerrick Reed II has accomplished so far. In his first action - against the Vikings - he had four total tackles, one of those for a loss. He also broke up a pass. Week two versus the Cowboys was light in action, as he only had one solo tackle and one assist.
Reed came roaring back against the Packers though. He had five solo tackles - two for losses - and an assist. As I've written before, Reed plays much bigger than his 195-pound frame should allow, and he's a sure tackler. With Jamal Adams still likely to miss the first game or two, the Seahawks need the hitting and tackling prowess of Reed on the roster.