Wednesday I took a look at the 2018 on field production of Frank Clark compared to the defensive ends that made the Pro Bowl for the NFC squad Authentic Bradley McDougald Jersey , and in both the comments and on social media fans asked for a similar comparison for Seattle Seahawks third year defensive tackle Jarran Reed. So, without having to lay too much groundwork, I’ll simply take a look at the same production numbers that I looked at for Clark. Jumping right into it, here are the first set of numbers for the defensive tackles who made the Pro Bowl roster, Aaron Donald, Fletcher Cox and Akiem Hicks, over Reed. Jarran Reed compared to 2018 NFC Pro Bowl DTsPlayerSacksQB HitsTotal PressureSnaps PlayedPlayerSacksQB HitsTotal PressureSnaps PlayedSo, he’s obviously at least in the conversation with Hicks, but nowhere even close to being in the same discussion as Donald or Cox. The next step is obviously to take a look at the impact of these players in the run game. Turning to the same stats we looked at for defensive ends, here is a look at how Reed stacks up next to the Pro Bowlers. Jarran Reed compared to the 2018 Pro Bowl defensive tackles against the runPlayerTacklesTFLSnaps PlayedPlayerTacklesTFLSnaps PlayedSo, we once again see that Donald is simply from another planet, presumably having fallen from space and landed in a small town in Kansas when he was a young child. From there, Reed, Hicks and Cox have numbers that are not dissimilar, and an argument can certainly be made that Reed was as deserving of a Pro Bowl spot as Hicks. However, Hicks had two big things going for him. For starters, while I am not a huge fan of PFF’s grades for most positions, their advanced metrics are phenomenal, and Hicks is absolutely dominant in the run game. When Hicks is on the field and the opposing offense calls a running play, the odds are very good that Hicks will be involved in making the stop. In fact, Hicks is the number one defensive tackle in the entire NFL in this metric Womens Kam Chancellor Jersey , and it’s not even close. While Reed’s numbers this season have him ninth in this category, the difference between Hicks at number 1 and Reed at number 9 is the same difference between Reed at 9 and Denico Autry in 43rd place. In fact, Reed could make the stop on 30% more running plays than he currently does and he’d still be in second place in this metric behind Hicks. In short, Hicks has been an absolute monster against the run in 2018. Further, as a member of the Chicago Bears defense that is stopping every offense that it meets this season, Hicks has had his stock increased by the fact that he plays for a strong defense. How impactful is the fact that Hicks plays for the number one defense in the NFL? Well, here’s a tweet from the Bears official Twitter account showing the members of the team that made the Pro Bowl this season. For those who don’t recognize those five players just by their last name, they are Return Specialist Tarik CohenCornerback Kyle FullerDefensive tackle Akiem HicksFree Safety Eddie Jackson and Linebacker Khalil MackThat is, simply put, four of Chicago’s eleven defensive starters and their returner, which is the result of a rising tide lifting all boats. The Bears have fielded a phenomenal defense this season, a defense that is third in the NFL in points allowed, first in generating turnovers and the top overall defense by DVOA. Basically, he’s part of the best defense in the NFL this season so he gets the benefit of the doubt, while Seattle has the number 19 defense by DVOA, which didn’t help Reed’s case. So, for those who may take offense at the omission of Reed from the NFC Pro Bowl roster, it’s probably best to take it up with Pete Carroll and Ken Norton.Seahawks-Colts preview: 5 Qs and 5 As with Stampede Blue The Seattle Seahawks open the preseason on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. To prepare you for the Seahawks’ competition — specifically their preseason competition — I sent 5 Qs over to Chris Blystone of the Colts blog Stampede Blue. In kind, he sent back 5 corresponding As. Here they are:Q: After the mess surrounding the Josh McDaniels situation, what’s been the attitude around Frank Reich and his staff? Do you see the team and the fans sort of rallying around and supporting them even more because of the fact that they were spurned by McDaniels or is it just the typical enthusiasm and uncertainty when there’s a coaching change? Is everyone excited that it’s not Chuck Pagano anymore?A: It is a very odd thing to consider. What could have marred Chris Ballard’s early tenure as GM actually ended up being a catalyzing moment for both the fan base and the team. Ballard’s press conference following the fiasco was confident and cool, exactly the kind of tone you want from a leader. His “the rivalry is back on” mic drop exit from that press conference both united fans in their continued hatred of the Patriots organization Authentic 12th Fan Jersey , and let his team know that he expects to get back to competing with the top teams in the NFL.Frank Reich came in and immediately left many fans feeling as though the team dodged a bullet by missing out on McDaniels. His bond with Andrew Luck as a former quarterback has been on display already in camp, and his creative mind and willingness to take advantage of Luck’s brainpower to craft the offense to cater to him is one that should help elevate Luck’s game.I can say with certainty that everyone I know is thrilled to have a coach who is not Chuck Pagano. I am not sure we realized just how poor the play calling, player development, or general function of the organization was under Pagano. It has been a breath of fresh air.Q: The Colts have both Robert Turbin and Christine Michael. They also drafted two guys on day three and have Marlon Mack from the fourth round last year. How do you expect the RB competition to shake out and how much do you think Seahawks fans will get to see Turbin and Michael this week, if at all?A: The running backs are a group I’ve watched the most during training camp so far. They’ve been a fun group and have shown flashes that will make them a critical watch during each preseason game. 2nd year player Marlon Mack and rookies Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins have all looked good in camp, with Mack and Wilkins specifically displaying a level of physicality we weren’t sure they would. That might just put Turbin’s spot in jeopardy, given his 4-game suspension.I think the depth chart ends up being Marlon Mack and Jordan Wilkins with the lion’s share of the carries, and Nyheim Hines getting looks as a situational/gadget type player who can be used all over the field. That leaves Turbin and Michael likely battling for that fourth spot.Q: No disrespect intended, but Indianapolis doesn’t seem to have a lot of stars on defense yet, with the biggest young name probably being Malik Hooker. However, the Colts used three second round picks on that side of the ball: LB Darius Leonard, DE Kemoko Turay, and DE Tyquan Lewis. How do they look this summer so far and which of those guys do you expect to see the most of in 2018? Are there other rising stars on Indy’s defense that we should be on the lookout for?A: The Colts have very little in the way of proven stars on the defense. That is both a bit terrifying and also sort of exciting. This defensive group is so young that there are unknowns everywhere. The implementation of a new scheme has changed the look of the unit to one that is geared toward speed and attacking, and the draft picks have been right in line with that.Darius Leonard has been definitively the most impressive of the three rookies you mentioned, grabbing a pick in his first practice and making plays all over throughout camp so far. Lewis and Turay are likely to see more rotational roles because the defensive line won’t be a set group, but will be used situationally. One guy to watch is cornerback Quincy Wilson. He was held out a lot last season due to immaturity and poor practices, but when he played, he did fairly well. How much of that was on the coaching staff we will probably never know, but he has been active in camp so far and could prove to be a big lift to the secondary in a place they really need it.Another guy to watch is John Simon. He was a pickup from the Texans before last season and a game changer early on as an outside linebacker. He has made the transition to defensive end, and has been lighting up camp again this offseason.Q: Former Seahawks and Huskies WR Kasen Williams is in competition for a job with the Colts, just as he was a year ago in Seattle. What are the odds that he makes Indy’s final roster coming out of camp http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/barkevious-mingo-jersey , in terms of the guys he needs to beat out to get there? A: Like the running back group, the wide receiver competition is pretty tough. T.Y. Hilton has the top spot locked down, but beyond that the field is relatively unclear. Chester Rogers had begun to develop good rapport with Luck, but disappeared last season without him. Rookie Deon Cain has been possibly the biggest highlight generator at camp thus far, and it seems almost certain he’ll be on the final roster.Daurice Fountain is another rookie who is likely to make the final roster and might be harder to supplant because he is from a small school and will be more raw, but has crazy athleticism and works well as a special teamer. Honestly, I think this competition will come down to the wire and be a tough call.Free agent acquisition Ryan Grant is likely the guy to beat if Williams is going to make it. Grant is reliable but not flashy, and if Williams can outshine him and prove a consistent weapon, he could give himself a chance.Q: I want to have the opportunity to ask you one question about the team I cover: What should Seahawks fans expect from Barkevious Mingo? He seemed to be a solid player for the Colts last season, is he someone that you were sad to see leave? Could he have more room to grow than he’s already had the chance to display or is this as good as it gets?A: I believe Mingo was improving as the year went on. He stepped into the outside linebacker spot to replace John Simon when he went down with injury, and got better and better as the year went on. Given his improvement, I was a little surprised that the Colts did not try to retain him, but with Simon’s return and Ballard planning to spend draft capital on the defensive line in addition to the scheme change, he just didn’t make sense with their plans.Seahawks fans should expect a solid rotational player, a valuable special teamer, and a player who can come in and make plays when needed. At almost 28, I wouldn’t expect him to transform his game and suddenly be a major factor on defense, however, he’ll be working with a mind in Pete Carroll who will certainly know better how to use him than Chuck Pagano did.