With Jarran Reed and Julian Love back in the mix, Mike Macdonald finally gets the defensive unit he’s been building toward. DH
Mike Macdonald has only had a handful of snaps with all of his key defensive pieces in the lineup so far this season.
The Atlanta Falcons might be able to throw Sam Darnold off his game with their blitzing, but no matter how much they disrupt him it won’t change the fact they’re heading towards a buzz-saw.
That would be the Seattle Seahawks defense, a loaded and lethal unit that comes into Week 14 giving up the third-fewest points per game in the NFL this season. Considering the number of injuries they have had to deal with, that’s a pretty stunning achievement.
Good news. For the first time since Week 1, Seattle’s defense is going to be at full strength today. The Seahawks announced the following roster moves on Saturday.
Seahawks Week 14 roster moves
– Activated from IR: S Julian Love
– Activated from IR: NT Jarran Reed
– Elevated from PS: RB Velus Jones Jr.
While there are bigger names to be found around Mike Macdonald’s defense, these are two key pieces returning to the mix.
Reed has appeared in eight games this season, posting 1.5 sacks, six QB hits and four pressures. The numbers don’t do justice to how disruptive Reed can be – and has been more often than not since he returned to Seattle in 2023.
Love has only been active for three games this year as he’s dealt with a lingering hamstring issue since Week 2. In his place, Ty Okada has done fantastic work, but the Seahawks are still getting a significant upgrade to the back end of their defense with Love finally rejoining the group.
Elevating Jones from the practice squad offers more depth at running back with George Holani recently going on injured reserve. He’s unlikely to see much work on offense though as Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet get practically all of the rushing workload between them.
Most likely, Jones will see his snaps on special teams, where he has extensive experience as a kickoff returner. He’s totaled 1,244 yards on 48 attempts in his career. He also has done work on punt returns.
