Seahawks’ Woods suspended 4 games for PEDs

Published 1:30 am Friday, December 20, 2019

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

RENTON — When the Seattle Seahawks released rookie defensive tackle Bryan Mone off their practice squad in late October, they told him to hang around and be ready, that his day might still come this season.

A few weeks later, the team re-signed Mone to the practice squad. And Friday, Mone found out he will suddenly become a key part of the team’s defense as Seattle gets ready for its biggest games of the season, in under what are less-than-ideal circumstances.

Seattle re-signed Mone to its 53-man active roster Friday after learning that veteran defensive tackle Al Woods has been suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Coach Pete Carroll confirmed the suspension, but said he otherwise had no details saying “that’s the league’s business. … There’s really not much we can say about it.”

The suspension means Woods will miss the final two regular-season games of the year — Sunday against Arizona and next week against the 49ers in a game that will essentially decide the NFC West title — and then the first two postseason games if Seattle plays that many (the Seahawks are assured of playing one).

If the Seahawks were to play a third playoff game then Woods could return. Otherwise, his suspension will carry over into next season (he will be a free agent at the end of the year and a suspension would carry over to a new team if necessary).

It is the second suspension for a Seattle player this week as receiver Josh Gordon was suspended on Monday for violating the policies on both PEDs and substances of abuse.

The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Woods, 32, has been a mainstay at tackle for the Seahawks this season, playing in all 14 games and starting five early in the season when he filled in for Jarran Reed, who had been suspended six games for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy.

After Reed returned, Woods remained a key part of the defensive-line rotation, playing at least 29% of the snaps in every game, almost solely on early downs or obvious running downs. He has one sack and 32 tackles this season.

“He’s been a great kid in the program and all that,” Carroll said of Woods. “Loved what he’s done.”

Woods played for Seattle briefly in 2011 and returned last spring on a one-year deal worth up to $2.25 million. He will not get paid for the final two games of the regular season, losing $147,058 in base salary, as well as playoff money for up to two games. He also had roster bonuses of $18,750 for every game that he was on the active roster that he will not receive.

But if the news of Woods — coming on the heels of the news about Gordon — is an obvious blow to the Seahawks, Carroll said the positive is the presence of Mone, who at 6-3, 345 pounds provides an even bigger presence inside than Woods.

Seattle’s only other players listed as tackles are Reed and Poona Ford, and while players such as Quinton Jefferson, L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green often play tackle on passing downs, Mone is assured of having a substantial role on running downs, at least.

“It’s right up Mone’s alley,” Carroll said. “That’s a big man’s position for us. We’ve always wanted to anchor the line of scrimmage for the running game, primarily. He’s been a first- or second-down player for the most part. … We love the way he plays and competes and all that. He’ll just step right in.”

Mone, who played at Michigan, was one of the team’s training camp standouts and made the initial 53-man roster, the only undrafted rookie free agent to make the team out of the preseason this year.

He played substantially in the first three games, on the field for at least 22 snaps in each, making three tackles in the opener against the Bengals, helping fill the void up front when Reed was out.

But he was waived in late September when the Seahawks needed roster spots at other positions, and after initially being re-signed to the practice squad, he was released off the practice squad in late October, which meant he wasn’t on any roster for roughly two weeks.

Mone, though, said he stayed in the area with the team telling him they might call on him again.

“I was just focusing by the day,” Mone said of what he did during the time he wasn’t on the roster. “Just focusing on getting better and letting everything take care of itself in the end.”

The suspension of Woods wasn’t how Mone or the team hoped he might make his return. But it’s also why teams practice squads, to have players ready to go when things inevitably happen.

Carroll said Mone had one of his better practice days on Thursday before the team knew of the suspension — Woods had been at practice all week but had not taken part due to an ankle injury.

“He’s tough,” Carroll said. “He’s physical. He’s got a great motor for chasing the ball for such a big man. We’re always showing his highlights. I think I had three highlights on yesterday from just his effort in practice. So, that’s kind of who he is. The players are fired up that he gets a chance to help us right now.”

And Mone says he thinks he’s ready to make the most of it.

“I’m way more comfortable than before,” he said. “Just doing what they told me to do and just keeping positive.”