Well, this one was a bit of a shocker. The San Francisco 49ers gambled and waived D.J. Reed with an injury designation this week, anticipating that the safety would clear waivers and revert to the team's NFI reserve list.
That's not how things played out.
The Seattle Seahawks, of course, swooped in and claimed Reed. The move is a curious one, as general manager John Lynch said on Monday that the safety isn't expected to be healthy until maybe early November. In a season about to be played amid a pandemic, roster spots are more valuable than ever.
Of course: The #Seahawks claimed DJ Reed, the former #49ers DB and 2018 draft pick, per the wire.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 5, 2020
"That's a tough one for us," Lynch said. "The earliest we might have had D.J. back was early November. It's a four-to-six-month injury, so that's been an active conversation Kyle (Shanahan) and myself and the medical folks have been having. Ultimately, too difficult to keep a roster spot for something that may go into December."
The signing gives the Seahawks a potential peek into ways to beat the 49ers. San Francisco edged Seattle during a Week 17 contest at CenturyLink Field to take the division crown.
If Lynch's early November recovery timeframe is correct, the Seahawks could potentially have Reed available for the first of two matchups between the two teams on November 1.
For Reed, it means he could potentially play this season. That probably wasn't going to be an option had he reverted back to the 49ers.