The Seattle Seahawks suffered a big blow to their defense when star defensive tackle Jarran Reed was handed a six-game suspension from the league for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in a 2017 incident.
While this suspension could have long-term ramifications for the Seahawks and Reed, in the short term it will seriously hamper Seattle’s depth on the defensive line and their pass rush.
Poona Ford will be joined on the defensive line by some combination of Al Woods, Nazair Jones, DeMarcus Christmas and possibly Jamie Meder.
The team could also shift defensive ends L.J. Collier or Quinton Jefferson inside, but that would hamper their depth on the outside, a unit that already lost Frank Clark and Dion Jordan from last year’s squad.
The other option for the Seahawks would be to pursue someone on the free agent market. With plenty of cap space, the Seahawks have the ability to add talent to the roster — although the remaining options aren’t the most inspiring.
Here are three players the Seahawks could bring into camp to compete for a job, at least one for the first six weeks of the season.
Ahtyba Rubin
It was reported a few weeks ago that the Seahawks may have interest in pursuing a reunion with Rubin, which may have been a sign that they knew what was coming regarding Reed.
Rubin, who will turn 33 on Thursday, started 32 games for the Seahawks from 2015-2016, racking up 45 solo tackles and three sacks.
He split the 2017 season between Atlanta and Denver, but did not play in 2018 because of a biceps injury suffered during the preseason with the Raiders.
Rubin is a similar player to Ford, and while that would give Seattle a formidable run-stuffing pair up front, it would hamper their ability to get to the quarterback. Reed recorded 10.5 sacks last season, and while there aren’t any free agents available who can match that kind of production, it’s possible the Seahawks look for a defensive tackle with more of an acumen getting to the QB than an older version of a player they already have.
However, Rubin would give the team added depth up front and familiarity with the system, which would be nice for six weeks until Reed returns.
Corey Liuget
The Seahawks hosted longtime Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget on a visit way back in April, along with fellow veteran Al Woods.
While they went with Woods at the time, the team could consider adding Liuget as well in lieu of Reed’s suspension.
Liuget is more adept than Rubin as a pass rusher, recording 24 career sacks, although most of them came when he was lining up on the outside. He only has 10.5 sacks in the last five years since shifting over to the inside.
Still, he has proved to be a reliable, durable defensive tackle during his eight-year career, which started when he was a first-round pick in 2011.
That durability was an issue last year though, as injuries and a four-game suspension limited him to only six games in 2018.
The fact that he is still available could be related to lingering injury issues; he clearly has the skill to contribute to an NFL team this season. If the Seahawks think he is healthy, he could be a player they target to replace Reed early in the 2019 season.
Clinton McDonald
Pete Carroll loves reuniting with old flames, and bringing back the 32-year-old McDonald would be exactly that.
McDonald played for the Seahawks from 2011-2013, appearing in 44 games and racking up 61 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks and three passes defended.
Like Rubin, McDonald is a run-stuffing interior defensive tackle, although he has shown some ability to get to the quarterback as well.
McDonald appeared in 15 games for the Raiders last year, starting one, and posting 19 solo tackles and two sacks.
He’d give Seattle another veteran up front who would add depth and could even be used in passing situations if needed.
Overall, the Seahawks aren’t going to pluck someone out of the free agent pool to immediately replace Reed for six games. But they do have options to add depth and help shore up a big position of need.
