Little big man on campus - Nick Reed

by Thomas Beekers on May 28, 2009 10:46 AM PDT

Just a feelgood piece on 7th-round Defensive End out of Oregon, Nick Reed.

Too short to play DE in the NFL? Maybe. Maybe not.

"Every game film you put on in college you say, 'There it is again.' He has that relentless attitude you're looking for," said new Seahawks defensive line coach Dan Quinn. "So I'm anxious to see if he can transfer the things he does innately well and we can add some more things to what he does." Quinn notes that when he coached Jason Taylor with the Miami Dolphins, Taylor weighed just 244 pounds, though admittedly the one-time NFL MVP was a different style of player with a 6-5 frame. He said Andre Carter played at about 255 pounds while he was with the 49ers as well. "Nick is in that ballpark," Quinn said. "There are not a lot of defensive ends that size, but there are some. It all comes back to if you're a lighter guy, you have to play with a physical nature to still have that presence. "When we're playing we don't say, 'Well, he's 248 or 255.' He's physical, he gets off the spot, he's relentless. Those are the things we're looking for." Reed had the same non-stop motor when he played at Mission Viejo High as a teammate of USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. He wasn't a big-time recruit like Sanchez, but went about proving he belonged at the Pac-10 level as one of the league's premier defenders.

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Cool, piece.

I’m high on Reed (considering he’s a late 7th round pick). Of course comparing him to Jason Taylor is pretty absurd. besides just the 4 inch difference that was mentioned, Jason Taylor is such a great athlete, he looks like he could play for D-1 basketball team and be on the cover of Men’s Health. I’m not sure Reed has even ‘average’ athleticism in comparison to other NFL DEs.

by LantermanC on May 29, 2009 9:53 AM PDT reply actions

Low Risk High Reward for this guy

I hope he can play well if given a chance. He is no small man in general terms only NFL DE small which is arbitrary any way.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on May 30, 2009 11:41 AM PDT reply actions

Pass rushing defensive end

now if only he can do what Peterson did for us. Not athletically, obviously, but he may have better moves. Or will have to have to have better moves to be successful. If worse comes to worse, with his attitude he should at least be solid on special teams.

by B.B.Finnegan on May 30, 2009 11:51 AM PDT reply actions

His size shouldn't be that important.

DE Tapp is listed on the roster as 6-1 and 279-lbs.
DE Reed is listed on the roster as 6-1 and 247-lbs. (32-lbs. less)

I think if Reed can hit the weight room and add another 15-20 lbs. of muscle between now and opening day, with his mind-set and work ethic, he may have a decent shot as a situational (passing downs) DE this year OR at a minimum – a spot on the practice squad to develop his craft for next year and serve as an emergency backup in case of DE injury (ie: Patrick Kerney) this year.

Jim Q.

by CamanoIslandJQ on May 30, 2009 3:15 PM PDT reply actions

Tapp came into the NFL at 255 IIRC

by Built2Spill on May 30, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions

True, but there's probably a reason Tapp was taken on the first day, and Reed wasn't.

Also, just because one guy put on 20 pounds and didn’t lose much effectiveness, doesn’t mean another guy won’t. Maybe Tapp just had the type of body that could fill out more without losing speed, whereas Reed’s body is a big as it can get.

by LantermanC on May 30, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions

"size shouldn't be important"... for an NFL Defensive End??

“DE Tapp is listed on the roster as 6-1 and 279-lbs.
DE Reed is listed on the roster as 6-1 and 247-lbs. (32-lbs. less)”

True. And, Darryl Tapp is often completely neutralized by very average Offensive Tackles. Tapp seems to have a big reputation off one 4-sack game he had (against the most pathetic offensive tackle performance I’ve ever seen). Tapp is naturally a very strong man, and has added bulk, but he still is vaporized on many plays by the opponent’s OT. I can’t imagine Nick Reed could fare better. He reminds me a bit of Jason Babin, relentless but maybe not strong enough to get past a 315 pound OT.

Bigger point I would make here is that if Nick Reed makes the team, I think that may indicate a problem. Patrick Kerney looks like he will return healthy, Lawrence Jackson should be stepping up in his second year, Tapp has experience, Atkins flashed some ability last year, and Cory Redding is expected to rotate at DE and DT. If Nick Reed makes the team it is on PS or because somebody important is out on IR.

by Stevo's on Jun 2, 2009 9:33 AM PDT reply actions

Well instead of a comparison to Jason Taylor

How about someone who is closer to his height, Elvis Dummervile the DE for the Broncos. Hes only 5’11 but hes a great pass rusher and decent against the run. And about the weight issue, how about Robert Mathis of the Colts, he plays close to 240 a lot of times and is one of the best DEs in football today. Its all a matter of toughness, speed and actual skill/technique for small guys.

by blueverinefan on Jun 2, 2009 7:14 PM PDT reply actions