Getty Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and defensive tackle Bryan Mone exit Lumen Field on January 09, 2021.
While the rehab process of Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks and safety Jamal Adams have dominated headlines this offseason, there’s another key defensive player whose return is vital for the team’s defense, nose tackle Bryan Mone.
Last season, Mone was carted off the field after suffering a torn ACL against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15. While he underwent surgery to repair his knee, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters in January that the procedure was “difficult” since doctors found “more stuff going on than we thought… he’s going to have a good battle to get back.”
The setback was rough, especially since the 27-year-old signed a two-year, $11 million extension with the Seahawks last offseason. Before getting injured, he recorded 25 tackles and one pass defensed in 12 games appearances and three starts.
Sports Illustrated‘s Corbin K. Smith wrote, “While Mone wasn’t as productive as an interior pass rusher with a win rate barely above five percent in 2022, the former Michigan standout looked poised to replicate the rest of his numbers before suffering a torn ACL… If the massive run stuffer isn’t able to return until the second half of the season, that would be a major blow to arguably the team’s weakest positional group that could ultimately have a negative impact on the win/loss column.”
Unfortunately for the Seahawks, it doesn’t appear that Mone’s return is imminent.
Pete Carroll Didn’t Sound Confident About Bryan Mone’s Rehab Process
GettySeahawks nose tackle Bryan Mone is carted off the field on December 12, 2021.
Carroll, who’s typically super positive with return timetables, didn’t sugarcoat Mone’s situation during a press conference in June. “It’s been a little bit up and down for him,” Carroll said, per Seahawks.com. “It hasn’t been quite as forward-moving as some of the recoveries. He’s a huge guy, 360 pounds, so it’s harder on him than it is on the other guys. He’s working really hard, he’s been here the whole time, and he’s dedicating himself to it. We’re hoping he’ll make it back, we’re counting on him.”
With Shelby Harris’ release, Poona Ford signing with the Buffalo Bills, and Seattle parting ways with Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods, the Seahawks’ depth at nose tackle is a problem. With Mone out, the only veteran nose tackle on the roster is Myles Adams.
Smith wrote, “Considering Seattle’s ugly performance ranking 30th in the NFL defending the run a year ago, even if he has to play limited snaps at first, getting Mone back on the field will be imperative to improving in that regard with few options available to replace him. Given his importance to the defense long-term, the team can’t afford to rush him too quickly off a severe knee injury and must make sure he has fully recovered before activating him.”
Depth at the position remains thin. The Seahawks drafted Mississippi State defensive tackle Cameron Young in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and signed undrafted free agents Robert Cooper (FSU), Jonah Tavai (San Diego State), along with former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Austin Faolui, per SB Nation. After being waived in May, the Seahawks re-signed UCLA undrafted defensive tackle Jacob Sykes on June 5.
The Seahawks Could Still Bring Back Shelby Harris
GettyFormer Seahawks tackle Shelby Harris at Lumen Field on November 27, 2022.
In March, the Seahawks released Harris, whom they acquired via the blockbuster trade involving Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos last offseason, as a cost-saving measure. Harris still had one year left on the $27 million contract he signed with Denver, and by releasing the veteran, the team saved nearly $9 million against the salary cap.
As the Illinois State alum remains a free agent, The Seattle Times‘ Bob Condotta addressed the possibility of Harris returning in his Mailbag column posted on Thursday, June 22. “I can’t say for certain that he is. But until he signs somewhere else, I think it remains an option.”
“The defensive line — to reiterate — is the one position that the Seahawks appear sure to try to continue to address, though at this point, probably not until right around the time training camp begins, or maybe later,” Condotta noted. “So, I think it remains an option that Harris could re-sign. But for now, I also don’t know if it will happen.”
The Seahawks, or any interested team, could likely get the veteran at a heavy discount. Bleacher Report‘s Alex Ballentine suggested the Dallas Cowboys swoop in to land Harris on a one-year $5 million deal. According to OvertheCap.com, the Seahawks have approximately $7.15 million in cap space, which is enough to re-sign Harris at a bargain price.