The Seattle Seahawks managed to keep a pair of their own free agents on Monday night by reaching agreements with defensive tackle Jarran Reed and tight end Luke Willson.
Reed was one of Seattle's highest priority free agents as each of the team's top five defensive linemen from last season became unrestricted free agents on Monday morning. Reed's deal with the Seahawks is for two years and worth $23 million, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
The Seahawks formally announced the agreement late Monday night. A source had told KJR that a deal with Reed was progressing toward completion shortly before the news broke via the NFL Network that an agreement had been reached.
Reed had a fantastic season for Seattle in 2018 with a career-high 10.5 sacks. However, he was suspended six games last year by the league over a personal conduct incident from 2017. Reed has always been a strong run defender but seemed to add the pass rushing element to his game in 2018. But Reed managed just two sacks in his 10 games played last year and has just five sacks in total in the 40 games of his career outside of the 2018 season.
The shorter term deal gives Reed a nice paycheck for the time being while allowing both sides to see what type of player Reed truly is.
Meanwhile, tight end Luke Willson reached an agreement on a one-year deal to return to the Seahawks, a source confirmed to KJR.
Willson has played six of his seven seasons in the NFL for Seattle and will be returning for his eighth season in the league. Willson has been a regular starter throughout his career having started 52 of the 94 games he’s played during his seven seasons. He’s caught 110 passes for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Willson will join Will Dissly, Jacob Hollister and Greg Olsen at the position for Seattle and give the team some necessary depth as Dissly works back from his Achilles tear.
Notes:
-- The Seahawks placed restricted free agent tenders on defensive end Branden Jackson and center Joey Hunt, per Field Yates of ESPN.com.
While not specified by the report, a source said the tenders for Jackson and Hunt are likely original round tenders. For Hunt, that would amount to a sixth-round pick while Jackson would only carry right of first refusal as he was an undrafted free agent in 2016.
Hunt started eight games in the regular season and both playoff games for Seattle at center last year after starter Justin Britt was lost to a torn ACL in late October. He’s appeared in 34 career games for the Seahawks with 11 total starts.
Jackson was an undrafted free agent signing of the Oakland Raiders in 2016. He only appeared in three games for the Raiders before landing in Seattle in 2017. He’s played in 36 games for Seattle over that span with four starts, recording 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The Seahawks have now extended tenders to all four of their restricted free agents with tight end Jacob Hollister getting a second-round tender and wide receiver David Moore getting an original round (seventh) tender.
Photo Credit: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 05: Josh McCown #18 of the Philadelphia Eagles carries the ball against Jarran Reed #91 of the Seattle Seahawks in their final play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter during their NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 05, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)