The 49ers risked letting cornerback DJ Reed go early in the season, when the team was getting hurt. Coach Kyle Shanahan talked about the decision to let Reed go on Wednesday:
“We had an unprecedented number of guys who were at the PUP. We couldn’t have more with the rules of the roster and how many we had to have. We didn’t know if he would be able to return during the year. Many decisions have been made.
We hoped we wouldn’t lose it. Obviously, Seattle got him, and they got a great player because of that. He’s a guy I really like, as a person and as a player. It’s something that I wish we could get back. “
At the time, it was a risk, as the 49ers had no hired cornerback after 2020. Reed didn’t have a chance to show his skills to San Francisco, but he made the most of Seattle. The first time Reed took the field this season was in Week 8, where he intercepted a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo while the 49ers drove. Since then, Reed has started all Seahawks games, including outside.
In a conference call, Seattle’s head coach, Pete Carroll, said Reed had appeared and “he immediately showed his stuff”. Caroll added:
“We expected him to be a nickel and maybe a security guard or a corner. We were not sure. We saw him play in those places, but we weren’t sure how he would fit. But as soon as we put him on the pitch, we simply love the guy and his natural instincts and his super-good speed. His style and conscience were really obvious, so he jumped on the spot. He played nickel and played well. We moved him to the corner because we needed it, and he played well and kept his job. ”
The NFL is all about opportunities and Reed made the most of the opportunities. He had another interception last week against Washington:
Clip 3:
The celebrations after DJ Reed’s INT are great!
But this is fascinating, as it demonstrates the relationship between the SS + and the low LB in Seattle’s frontal bear system.
“Hey Hey hey [?] moves you go to heaven, in you, ”Adams said to KJ Wright pre-snappic.twitter.com/0LQWSx9AEO
– Matty F. Brown (@mattyfbrown) December 30, 2020
The week before, Reed played his best game of the season, and I would say it was one of the best defensive defense “effort” games throughout the NFL season. Check out this clip:
Reed has been a staunch defender, as he has only lost three in the entire season. He has been an effective blitzer, running defense and has also broken four passes on the cover. To be sure, he is the Seahawks punt and kick returner. On 38 targets, Reed allowed 7.1 yards per target for Sports Info Solutions.
I mentioned before how Sports Info Solutions has its version of “saved defensive races”, which is called “total saved points”. In eight games, Reed’s total of 25 saved points is greater than Stephon Gilmore, Antoine Winfield Jr., Patrick Peterson, Byron Jones and Marshon Lattimore.
The front line bet, and that bet was not worth it. Reed is under contract until 2021 and is 25 years old, positional flexibility and special value for the teams. Shanahan has every reason to feel bad after losing a player like Reed.