Former Redskins tight end Jordan Reed reportedly visiting Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly visiting with former Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed.
The Washington Redskins made the decision to part ways with Jordan Reed earlier this offseason. It was a fairly easy move for the team as he had a low dead-cap hit and had serious issues staying healthy during the course of his time with the Redskins.
In 2019, Reed wasn’t able to see the field after he took a brutal headshot from Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal in the third preseason game. There was some speculation that Reed would have to retire after suffering the concussion, but he cleared concussion protocol in January and wants to keep playing.
On Thursday, it was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Reed would be visiting the Seattle Seahawks. Schefter broke the news on Twitter.
Former Washington TE Jordan Reed is visiting the Seahawks today, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2020
On the surface, this would be a very odd fit for Reed. The Seahawks do love throwing the ball to their tight ends, but they already inked Greg Olsen to a deal after he was cut by the Carolina Panthers. And the Seahawks have Will Dissly on the roster and Jacob Hollister is set to be a restricted free agent. If they kept those three players, there would be little reason for them to keep Reed around, as there would be too many mouths to feed at the position.
Perhaps the Seahawks are just doing their due diligence. Perhaps they’re not confident about Dissly’s health — he suffered a torn patellar tendon in 2018 and a torn Achilles in 2019 — or maybe they’re concerned about a team overpaying for Hollister and being unable to match it. In that case, having Reed around as a low-risk, high-reward option could make sense.
Still, it doesn’t seem likely that Seattle would be where Reed ultimately lands. The 2020 NFL Draft class is weak at tight end, so some tight end-needy team will likely give Reed a chance to win a job as a backup. He probably won’t be a starter because he’s too injury prone, but there should be more interest once some of the other tight ends are off the market. Seattle just doesn’t seem like a place where Reed could easily find a path to relevance.
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Either way, the Redskins won’t miss Reed too much. It was time for both parties to move on and the ‘Skins will be looking to upgrade the position this offseason. They could consider a guy like Austin Hooper among other options in free agency.