JOE FANN
UPDATED: MARCH 14, 2023 AT 12:50 PM
Denver’s Dre’Mont Jones celebrates a sack against Houston on Sept. 18, 2022. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures)
The Seahawks are not typically key players in the initial wave of free of charge agency. Basic manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll have turn into recognized for standing idly by whilst other teams invest significant funds. That wasn’t the case Monday when Seattle reportedly agreed to a hefty 3-year, $51 million contract with defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones, with $40 million assured.
Rost: The fantastic and negative of free of charge agency for Seahawks so far
It marks Seattle’s biggest investment in a single free of charge agent in far more than a decade.
At six foot three and 281 pounds, Jones is renowned for getting an interior disruptor specializing as a pass rusher. Jones posted six.five sacks for the Broncos in 2022 with 47 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and ten quarterback hits in 13 games. Quite a few viewed Jones as the top rated defensive lineman obtainable amongst this year’s free of charge agents aside from Javon Hargrave (who has reportedly left the Eagles for the 49ers).
“He’s athletic, and so he offers you a fantastic inside pass rush,” Darren McKee of Denver Sports stated Tuesday morning of Jones when he joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk to go over the now former Broncos DT. “That’s absolutely what he’s most effective at, so that is the most fascinating factor.”
The move will bolster a Seahawks front seven that was woeful in 2022, a significant explanation Seattle’s defense ranked 25th in scoring and 26th in yards permitted. Jones need to also free of charge up Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor off the edge.
What’s a bit confusing is that sophisticated metrics are not necessarily aligned on what caliber of player Jones is. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Jones ranks eighth in pass rush win price more than the final two seasons when lined up on the interior. He ranked sixth in that metric in 2022.
Having said that, Pro Football Concentrate is substantially far more bearish on Jones. PFF gave Jones a complete-season grade of just 51.eight, a new profession low. His pass rush grade was a strong albeit unspectacular 67.three, whilst his run defense grade was a poor 41.eight.
That is a notable valley amongst what ESPN and PFF would recommend Jones is worth, and McKee indicated that consistency was a significant concern in Denver.
“I like Dre’Mont Jones a lot, but he’s not going to be the effect player that you assume he need to be for the funds (the Seahawks) just spent,” McKee stated. “But he’s strong. He’s extremely strong.”
It is worth noting that PFF gave Seattle’s signing of Jones an A-minus in terms of match and need to have and a B-plus in regard to the worth of the contract. That indicates even PFF believes Jones is improved than what their personal grading method would recommend.
“Seattle lands 1 of the top rated free of charge agents on the marketplace in Dre’Mont Jones, straight away adding juice up the middle,” the PFF employees wrote.
The fantastic news for Seahawks fans is that Jones’ tape is littered with disruptive reps, and ESPN’s Matt Bowen ranked him 10th amongst this year’s top rated one hundred free of charge agents. Each Bowen and The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen referred to as Jones an ascending player. At just 26 years old, there’s no explanation why the currently impressive Jones can not evolve into 1 of the game’s most effective interior defensive linemen.
It has been a productive final week for Seattle, possessing also re-signed Geno Smith. The pair of moves has checked crucial boxes on the team’s to-do list and has provided them fantastic flexibility in the NFL Draft. Anything from taking a defensive lineman, to taking a quarterback, to trading down from the No. five general choose remains on the table.
The Seahawks nevertheless have a notable list of roster wants at guard, center, linebacker and cornerback, and they could use at least 1 far more defensive lineman. But adding Jones is a fantastic commence to the new league year for Seattle provided his documented NFL good results and projected ceiling that suggests he’s nevertheless however to enter the height of his prime.
Bumpus: 3 inside LBs Seahawks need to contemplate in free of charge agency