🚨Seahawks trade!

Ernest Jones is Seattle's new middle linebacker!

Ernest Jones is the new Seahawks MIKE linebacker. Jerome Baker’s Seattle career is over after 5 games.

The Seahawks traded Baker and a 2025 4th round pick to the Titans on Wednesday in exchange for linebacker Ernest Jones. This is the second time that Jones has been traded in the last 2 months, as he went from the Rams to Tennessee on August 27th for the much lower cost of a 5th/6th round pick swap.

Jones’ 2023 production stands out: 145 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks. The Seahawks — likely blocked from trading for Jones in August — now have a linebacker who they feel can help stop the run. According to Next Gen Stats, Jones generated a defensive stop on 19% of his runs in 2023, the highest run stop rate in the NFL on a minimum of 150 run snaps. He had a total of 78 stops and the Rams were comfortable using him as a blitzer, so he could fit well in Mike Macdonald’s versatile-needy defense.

In 6 games with the Titans, Jones had 44 tackles, 25 stops (a 17-game pace of 71 stops, so he’s consistent), but Tennessee wasn’t asking him to rush the passer as much so that’s why he only has one pressure.

EARLIER: ABE LUCAS TO RETURN FROM IR; WHEN WILL HE DEBUT?

Is this a win?

I have followed Ernest Jones since he was drafted by the Rams in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft and for me his career wouldn’t be that much different from Jordyn Brooks’. In fact, Jones was also pushed aside to make way for Bobby Wagner when Wagner went to L.A. in 2022 and that sort of highlighted that the Rams weren’t comfortable with Jones as the MIKE yet, but linebackers do often take several years to adjust to the pros.

His playing time increased in 2023 and so did his production, but the Rams made it no secret that they didn’t plan to extend Jones with his rookie contract set to expire in 2025. Instead, the Rams traded Jones (he didn’t ask for a trade) for almost nothing and now L.A. might have the worst LB corps in the entire league — and Jones is on their NFC West rivals.

The Seahawks increased payment of a 4th round pick (it seems like Baker is of no consequence) indicates to me that Seattle does intend to extend Ernest Jones. Maybe they have some regret on letting Brooks go, or it could be that John Schneider has always felt that Jones would be an upgrade, and obviously the team wasn’t impressed with Jerome Baker.

In any case, Ernest Jones is the new MIKE for the Seahawks and he should start immediately this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Most importantly, will improved run defense follow him?