Should the Bengals pursue Jarran Reed?

The Seahawks have released Jarran Reed, and the Bengals should at least consider signing him.

Defensive line depth on the interior was shaky last year with injuries and opt outs. In the offseason, the Bengals released Geno Atkins and signed Larry Ogunjobi, but they may not be done there.

Reed was a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2016. He played for the Seahawks for five years, and was re-signed after 2019, despite only playing in 10 games the previous season.

Over his five years in the NFL, Reed has played in 72 games, collected 22 sacks, 194 combined tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and 58 QB hits. His most productive season was in 2018 when he had double-digit sacks and 24 QB hits.

Unfortunately, Reed never returned to form, as he suffered an ankle injury that cost him six games the next year. He did sign a two-year extension following the 2019 season, and his 2020 season started off well. Despite playing through a few nagging injuries, Reed almost returned to form.

Reed had offseason surgery in January to correct an undisclosed issue. While neither Reed nor the Seahawks addressed the surgery, Reed did play through an oblique injury at the end of the 2020 season.

The Seahawks needed some extra cap space after acquiring Gabe Jackson from the Raiders and eventually re-signing Carlos Dunlap. To make room, they let Reed and his $11.5 million salary go.

Reed is 6-3, 306 pounds, so while a bit taller, he fits the mold of Geno Atkins. He is only 28, so they can still get a few years out of him before he starts to decline. Reed would be a good piece to help replace Atkins if they can get him for a good deal.

The Bengals have historically played free agency in a way that they get as many compensatory picks as they could. Since Reed was released, rather than not re-signed, his signing won’t cost them anything there.

However, if Dunlap talked about the Bengals with Reed, then there’s a good chance Reed would never want to step foot in Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals should call his agent and see if they can bring him in. But given his injury history, he may ask for more money than the Bengals are willing to pay.

So, what say you on Jarran Reed?