The Seattle Seahawks continue to be active in the trade market, looking for ways to improve the defense. This latest move may come as a surprise, but at the same time maybe it’s not that surprising at all!
Having already acquired defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris just last week, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reports that the Seahawks are sending inside linebacker Jerome Baker to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for another inside linebacker in Ernest Jones IV.
What did the Seahawks trade up to get Ernest Jones IV?
In addition to sending Baker to Tennessee, which already has another former Seahawk in safety Quandre Diggs, the Seahawks are reportedly sending a 2025 fourth-round pick. Keep in mind that the Titans acquired Jones earlier this offseason for a 2026 sixth-round pick, while giving up a 2025 fifth-round pick in the process.
Why did the Seahawks trade Jerome Baker?
If I had to make an educated guess, he wasn’t the right fit for Mike Macdonald’s system. Macdonald has mentioned second-level issues defending the run, which would put the onus on Baker and Tyrel Dodson. Baker missed a lot of training camp and a couple of regular season games with a hamstring injury, and when he has played he’s really struggled with his run fits.
Who is Ernest Jones IV?
Seahawks fans should be familiar with Jones, a third-round pick from South Carolina who began his career with the Los Angeles Rams back in 2021. The 6’2, 233-pound Jones won a Super Bowl as a rookie and played a big part in LA’s win, recording seven tackles, three QB hits, and a sack against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jones recorded 4.5 sacks in his final season with the Rams, along with a career-high 145 tackles (14 tackles for loss) and six passes defensed. He started five games for the Titans and recorded 44 tackles and two passes defensed on a defense that quietly ranks 11th by FTN Fantasy DVOA and 6th against the run.
What’s Ernest Jones’ contract situation?
And now the fun part. Jones requested a trade from the Rams after contract talks had stalled. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal, which makes him very cheap (and cheaper than Baker, whose deal was north of $6 million). His 2024 salary is $3.116 million, and the Seahawks will be taking on less than $2 million due to how much the Titans have paid him already. Jones is set to hit free agency in 2025 and no doubt the Seahawks have an extension in mind for the 24-year-old.
For now, the goal for the Seahawks is to upgrade at a position of weakness, and Jones figures to be an upgrade over Baker. Assuming he plays this weekend, it’ll be Jones’ second straight game against the Buffalo Bills. The following week, Jones will face his old team, the Los Angeles Rams.