Now it’s D.J. Reed at left cornerback, Tre Flowers at right. What’s next for Seahawks?
What a way for Tre Flowers to begin his contract year.
After having the job as a rookie, losing it not once but twice last year, then regaining it this August only because his competitor was injured for a couple weeks, Flowers is suddenly on a direct line to starting the Seahawks’ season at right cornerback.
Pete Carroll cleared that path for Flowers this week, and again on Wednesday.
“Always compete” Pete came as close as the coach ever will Wednesday to naming a winner in his starting-cornerback competition. He glowed on about Flowers’ preseason. His training camp. His new-found aggressiveness on the ball.
“The best he’s been,” Carroll said of his 2018 fifth-round draft choice he converted from college safety to Seattle cornerback and made a starter as a rookie.
Their love of Flowers’ play and revival at right cornerback this preseason is why Carroll and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. moved D.J. Reed, the previous starter on the right side, to left cornerback this week. Three days into that switch, Reed now appears on track to start at left cornerback Sept. 12 when the Seahawks open the season at Indianapolis.
And, just as suddenly, Witherspoon and his $4 million that Seattle is guaranteeing him on the one-year contract he signed in March appear headed to the bench. A week ago Norton tepidly called the 6-3 Witherspoon’s performance at left cornerback in the preseason “fair.”
“Tre has been having a fantastic camp. He’s been doing really good things,” Norton said last week. “Witherspoon is a guy that’s been making plays. He had a really good day (last Tuesday). He’s having a really good camp.
“Preseason (games) has been fair.”
Carroll repeatedly lauds Reed for his aggressiveness and playing with a chip on his shoulder as a Seattle revelation from San Francisco last year. The coach did it again Wednesday when asked to assess the state of his (up-to-now) unsettled cornerback position that is unsettling many across the Pacific Northwest.
On Tuesday, Reed revealed to reporters — who can no longer watched closed practiced now that the preseason has ended — that coaches had moved him to left cornerback in practice this week.
“Unless something else changes — I’m adaptable — but I feel like that’s (on the left side) is what I’m doing,” Reed said.
The 5-foot-9 Reed missed weeks in August with a groin injury. That created the opportunity for the 6-3 Flowers to be the first-team right cornerback in training camp.
Asked why he moved Reed this week to left cornerback, Carroll said Wednesday: “Tre had such a good camp. He just battled every day and did a great job. And when you let guys compete sometimes, you know...you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. That’s the whole idea. I thought Tre had a fantastic camp.
“That’s why Tre gets the chance on the right side...In zone and man-to-man, he’s much more comfortable making plays on the ball (than he was early in his career). That’s great to see.”
Carroll said “we tried to really keep the tone of it competitive, to bring out the best in the guys.
“For instance, I think that’s what happened with Tre. He knew he was up against it. He was battling with D.J. He knew he had kind of taken his spot last year. And D.J. kind of being banged up gave him an opportunity to really show. And he took advantage of it.
For the second time in two weeks, Carroll also said: “I love the way D.J. plays. He’s really aggressive. He’s really heady. He’s a good tackler. Just a really good ball player.
“So he could play either side, wherever we need him, you know. And he played both last year. So that flexibility...I haven’t had Tre play much on the other side. Didn’t want to move him.”
Noticeably, neither Carroll or Norton have said “I love the way Ahkello plays.”
At least, not yet.
As he always does, Carroll left open the competition. The Seahawks have former Washington Huskies cornerback Sidney Jones arriving in a trade this week from Jacksonville. He passed his trade physical and the team made the trade official on Wednesday. Carroll said the Seahawks see the 6-foot Jones as a left and right cornerback. He’s played both sides for the Eagles and the Jaguars in his four previous, injury-hampered seasons in the NFL.
“Sidney’s not coming in here to stand around,” Carroll said. “He wants to play.”
Seattle also signed 6-1 cornerback Nigel Warrior off waivers from Baltimore Wednesday. He was playing right cornerback for the Ravens this season.
“In time, when we get him adapted and all, you’ll see (Jones) battling. You’ll see Nigel,” Carroll said.
“And you’ll see a couple other things that happen here, too.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 6:07 PM.
