Seahawks' Cory Redding ready to play inside or out

Cory Redding's world wasn't turned inside-out by Saturday's trade from Detroit to Seattle.

His position along the defensive line may have been, though, after the Seahawks acquired him by trading Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson.

Redding said the Seahawks coaches have discussed playing him primarily at defensive end on first and second downs and moving him to tackle on third downs in a pass-rushing role. Redding has played defensive tackle in Detroit for the past two and a half seasons.

Does Redding have a preference on where he plays on the line?

"Man, I'm a football player," he said in a telephone interview with Seattle reporters Monday. "It doesn't matter where you put me, inside or outside."

The Lions drafted Redding as a defensive end in the third round of the 2003 draft. He moved to tackle in 2006 after injuries to Shaun Rogers, Shaun Cody and Marcus Bell left the middle of the Lions' line barren.

"I was the biggest guy left," Redding said.

Trouble was, he wasn't all that big. Not by the standards of defensive tackles. As an end, he played at about 285 pounds. After moving to tackle in 2006, he finished the season with eight sacks. He also showed enough promise for the Lions to designated Redding their franchise player and pay him a seven-year contract that at the time ranked as the largest ever signed by a defensive tackle.

The past two seasons, he has played much closer to 300 pounds, but was not the same pass-rush threat. He totaled four sacks the past two seasons.

"I've always been a smaller guy [at defensive tackle]," Redding said. "Trying to play at that weight on the inside, was tough."

Redding said his current weight is 297 pounds, and he intends to play at 285 next season.

Seattle's starting defensive tackles are expected to be Brandon Mebane and Colin Cole. At defensive end, the Seahawks have Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp and Lawrence Jackson — all of whom started at one point last season — returning.

Note

• Backup tight end Will Heller signed a one-year contract with Detroit on Monday. He is the third Seahawk added by the Lions this offseason, joining Maurice Morris (free agent) and Julian Peterson (trade).

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com