The Seattle Seahawks may not be in complete rebuild mode after all.
Following the trade of Russell Wilson and the release of Bobby Wagner, many are assuming the Seahawks are in a complete rebuild mode. However, it appears they’re still “eyeing” top free agents.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Seahawks — along with several other teams — are interested in pursuing veteran pass-rusher Chandler Jones.
“Chandler Jones’ market is about to heat up. #Seahawks, #Broncos, #Dolphins, #Falcons – among others – all eyeing the All-Decade performer, who only just turned 32,” says Schultz. “Im told Jones will command at least $15-18M on the open market. He wants to play for a contender.”
In addition to the aforementioned teams, the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles are also reportedly interested in the Arizona Cardinals linebacker.
Jones Remains a Top Pass-Rushing Specialist
Despite being 32 years of age, Jones remains one of the top pass-rushing specialists in the league. Not only is he coming off of his fourth Pro Bowl campaign, he’s coming off of a season in which he notched 10.5 sacks.
According to Pro Football Focus, the veteran defender posted a 87.7 pass-rushing grade in 2021 — the ninth-highest of any player at his position last season. While Jones may not be posting the sack numbers that he did a couple years ago — he posted 19 sacks in 2019 — he’s still a tremendous force off of the edge.
As Schultz notes, Jones is expected to command a salary anywhere from $15-to-$18 million. According to Spotrac, his market value is $14.5 million, which would make him the 11th-highest paid outside linebacker in the league.
Sports Illustrated’s Gary Gramling and Conor Orr ranked him as the third-best free agent on the market. They predicted that Jones might emerge as the “market buy” of free agency.
“While teams were able to take advantage of a depressed market last year to grab elite pass rushers at bargain-basement prices, Jones will provide a fascinating litmus test as to how much teams will be willing to spend. As one GM put it: He’s older, but he’s elite, and there’s an exceptional draft class coming down the pike. On one hand, this could make for the value buy of the offseason.”
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Carroll: Seahawks’ Lack of Pass Rush a Concern
The Seahawks have plenty of holes to fill, but their lack of pass rush is one of their most glaring. The unit ranked 25th in the league with just 33 sacks and Carlos Dunlap led the team with 8.5 sacks, ranking 29th in the league.
Head coach Pete Carroll admitted that the lack of pass rush led to the defense’s struggles in forcing turnovers — a franchise-low takeaway total of 18.
“The numbers of the lack of turnovers that we were able to create,” Carroll said in his end of season press conference. “Usually those come when you’re getting ahead in games; and if you’re well ahead, the ball gets more exposed and you get more turnovers and that feeds off itself. But also you’ve got to create them, and you create them with the pass rush. And pass rush, the quarterback is the number one critical aspect of turning the football over.”
Carroll continued to stress during the press conference how the Seahawks need to improve their pass rush in the offseason.
“We need to improve our pass rush, you know? That’s an area that we need to get better,” he stated.
Signing a player like Jones — especially after the departures of two of the best players on the roster — would immediately improve the pass rush.
Seahawks ‘Eyeing’ 4-Time Pro Bowler in Free Agency: Report