Seahawks Still Have Work To Do On Defense, But Believe “We’re On The Right Track”

Ignoring for a moment the emotional part of the Wagner addition—which is significant—his signing and that of Bush help the Seahawks bolster their depth and talent at inside linebacker, which was a must after Cody Barton left in free agency and with Jordyn Brooks still facing a long recovery from a late-season ACL tear. The additions of Reed and Jones on the defensive line will, the Seahawks hope, help the team accomplish one of Carroll’s stated goals after last season, which is to get more disruptive on the defensive line. Jones in particular represents the type of interior pass-rush threat the Seahawks have been looking for for a long time.

“We’ve been searching for that big, long 3-technique, a guy that can be an inside pass rusher with length,” Schneider said. “We were playing against Calais Campbell in Arizona for so long, we were like, ‘That body type, that physicality, we need that.'”

Carroll even compared Jones to one of the best defensive linemen he has coached in more than a decade in Seattle.

“I’m really excited about Dre coming to us,” Carroll said. “He’s got such a style and a knack in playing 3-technique and rushing and passer, and he has versatility to do other things as well. But he’s got such a knack that we’ve been looking for for some time. And really, I go back and I keep giving Michael Bennett a little shout here—when Mike was with us, he was a real factor. He caused people problems. And he didn’t cause people problems just by the basic fundamental technique he played, but by the other aspects of the game that he brought, and Dre has a variety of things. His expertise in using his body and movement and willingness to take a shot and take chances shows that he’s got a knack that goes beyond a lot of other players. And so I think he’s going to add a tremendous amount. He’s going to enhance the relationship with the speed guys that we have on the edge, and the more factor they have to play off of him, the more opportunity and spacing it creates for the other guys. I think it’s going to fit really, really well. I love the kid, he’s serious, loves the game, has a really good mentality about studying it, working and all that. So that’s going to fit in, and our guys are going to love him.”

The addition of Love, meanwhile, feels almost like a luxury addition—though there could be more of a need at safety early in the season if Jamal Adams isn’t back right away—and it’s a move the Seahawks were very excited to make. In 2022, the…