Just a few minutes after Seahawks president of soccer operations John Schneider mentioned “clearly we really feel like now we have a necessity” at a linebacker, he took a step towards filling it, reaching an settlement with free agent Tyrel Dodson.
A league supply confirmed the settlement with The Seattle Instances. Bleacher Report was first to report it.
Dodson, 25, spent the final 5 years in Buffalo and began 10 video games for the Payments final season. He made 74 tackles, eight for a loss, after taking on at weakside linebacker for the injured Matt Milano.
Dodson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2019.
He was suspended six video games by the NFL for violating the league’s private conduct coverage following an arrest on home violence expenses. He ultimately plead responsible to misdemeanor expenses of disorderly conduct and was waived and later re-signed.
Phrases of his deal weren’t instantly reported.
The 6-foot, 237-pound Dodson is definitely coming in to take over a beginning position in a linebacking corps that, till Thursday afternoon, loomed as the largest thriller of how the Seahawks had approached the free-agent signing interval up to now.
Earlier than the settlement with Dodson, the Seahawks had seen their high three inside linebackers from a 12 months in the past — Jordyn Brooks (Miami), Bobby Wagner (Washington) and Devin Bush (Cleveland) — signal elsewhere, whereas not bringing in anybody as a alternative.
Schneider mentioned Thursday afternoon throughout his weekly look on the Wyman and Bob Present on Seattle Sports activities 710 that the linebacking place could be a spot of focus as free company continued to unfold.
And so it was, as they introduced in Dodson for a go to earlier within the day and bought him signed.
The Seahawks additionally tendered restricted free agent Jon Rhattigan, who has practiced at linebacker spots.
Dodson completed with the No. 1 grade of all linebackers from Professional Soccer Focus as he lastly noticed vital beginning expertise.
“Dodson carries some threat as a linebacker with only one,066 profession snaps, and one who was not a starter for the Payments till Matt Milano bought injured in Week 5 of the 2023 season,’’ PFF wrote. “Nonetheless, what he did with the chance and the way he performed as soon as he turned a starter makes him one of many extra intriguing free brokers this 12 months. Dodson ended up as PFF’s highest-graded linebacker in 2023 (90.2). He was the one linebacker within the NFL to earn a grade above 83.0 for his work in run protection and protection.’’
Schneider insisted that there was no intent to disregard the linebacking corps early on. He mentioned the linebacking place in free company this 12 months “went rather more rapidly” than it has up to now. One purpose for that could be that the draft shouldn’t be thought-about overly sturdy at inside linebacker.
Schneider additionally mentioned circumstance was at play within the lack of Brooks to Miami.
He mentioned the Seahawks’ first precedence in free company was to re-sign defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who agreed to a three-year deal value $64.5 million, the most important on a per-year foundation the Seahawks have ever given to a defensive participant.
On the identical time the Seahawks had been attempting to get that performed, Schneider mentioned, Miami was working rapidly to signal Brooks.
And Schneider mentioned that with out having Williams’ deal performed, they couldn’t signal Brooks. Williams’ wage and cap hits had been going to impression the remainder of the price range, and with out figuring out that deal would get performed — and at what worth — they couldn’t come to an settlement with Brooks, who signed a three-year deal value $26.250 million with the Dolphins.
“It was the timing of it,’’ Schneider mentioned. “ … We knew Leonard’s deal was going to have an effect on all of free company. They’d a deal on the desk, and we simply couldn’t transfer as rapidly as [Miami] might. They’d misplaced out on a pair guys that day, in order that they had been transferring rapidly.’’
Brooks was the Seahawks’ first-round choose in 2020 and, on the time, was thought to be a possible long-term successor within the center to Wagner.
With Wagner turning 34 in June, many figured the Seahawks would prioritize signing Brooks, engaged on the idea Wagner won’t be again.
Schneider mentioned the Seahawks “love Jordyn,” however “we needed to take emotion out of it and do what’s greatest for the group, in order that’s what we did.’’
Given Wagner’s age and a brand new teaching employees, it was thought to be much less probably that he could be again.
A supply mentioned the Seahawks had been “uninterested’’ in re-signing Wagner, who ended up signing with Washington on a one-year deal reported to be value as much as $8.5 million with $6 million assured. He made $6.25 million final 12 months.
Schneider didn’t communicate particularly to any negotiations with Wagner however famous that Wagner was interested in Washington by reuniting with Dan Quinn, the workforce’s new head coach who was defensive coordinator in Seattle in 2013-14.
“Clearly, Bobby being with DQ once more, it’s going to be a cool factor,’’ Schneider mentioned, additionally calling him a “legend’’ and “Corridor of Famer.’’
Bush, who performed in a reserve position final 12 months, wasn’t anticipated again and signed with the Browns on Thursday after visiting earlier within the day.
“Clearly, we really feel like now we have a necessity at linebacker and we will probably be working to handle that place in addition to a couple of others as we hold going right here,’’ Schneider mentioned.