Former All-Pro Lofa Tatupu Makes Case For Seattle Seahawks to Sign Veteran LB

With Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson missing the entire offseason program, if the Seahawks need an insurance policy at linebacker, Lofa Tatupu has one name in mind.

Oct 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham (52) tackles Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

On the cusp of report day for training camp, the Seattle Seahawks have no shortage of questions at linebacker, where they have undergone a full scale overhaul this offseason.

After losing veteran starters Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks as well as reserve Devin Bush in free agency, the Seahawks filled those voids by taking one-year fliers on Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson. They also invested a fourth-round pick in UTEP's Tyrice Knight, who finished second in the nation in solo tackles last season and has the positional versatility to play either middle or weakside linebacker, while re-signing core special teams player Jon Rhattigan on a restricted tender.

While the Seahawks hope to have both players back in action early in camp, however, Baker and Dodson didn't participate at all in the team's offseason program as they recovered from injuries. This has created concerns at a position where the team only has one other linebacker on the roster - Rhattigan - who has played a single regular season snap on defense in the NFL.

Weeks after opening up cap space by restructuring contracts for defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones and opening up two roster spots, Seattle has enough flexibility to potentially add another veteran to the mix before camp. With several proven defenders still available, including Shaq Leonard and Kwan Alexander, former All-Pro Lofa Tatupu views one option as a better one for new coach Mike Macdonald's defense than the others in eighth year veteran Zach Cunningham.

"That's one of these under appreciated guys, everywhere he goes, he just racks up 130 tackles, sacks, interceptions, just makes plays," Tatupu said as a guest on the Locked On Seahawks podcast recently. "And so I think that would probably be the best fit, especially for what Mike [Macdonald] likes to do."

As is often the case this time of year, Cunningham remains on the market as one of a handful of quality veteran defenders who have yet to land a new job for a variety of reasons. Only 29 years old, he has generally been pretty healthy in his career, playing in at least 13 games in six of his seven seasons, but he does have a prior history of wearing out his welcome with multiple teams due to off-field related issues.

Originally drafted by the Texans out of Vanderbilt in 2017, Cunningham quickly became a starter in the middle, posting 90 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rookie. Over the next three seasons, he surpassed 100 tackles each time, including leading the league in 2020 when he tallied 164 combined tackles along with a trio of sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Unfortunately, Cunningham got into coach David Culley's doghouse in 2021, twice being reprimanded for violating team rules. After the second infraction, the Texans released him, allowing the Titans to claim him off waivers. After missing most of the 2022 season on injured reserve, Tennessee released him in February 2023, and he eventually signed with the Eagles midway through training camp last August.

Quickly getting up to speed, Cunningham wound up starting 10 of 13 games played for Philadelphia, posting solid numbers with 85 tackles, four pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.

After seeing Cunningham arrive more than a week into training camp and produce as he did for the Eagles last season - while also considering his much better overall injury history compared to Leonard or Alexander - Tatupu believes he would be the most logical choice if the Seahawks felt they needed another experienced linebacker on the roster. His prior history of being an effective blitzer with decent coverage skills would make him a quality stop gap in Macdonald's scheme in the event Baker or Dodson isn't healthy and Knight isn't ready to play right away.

"I would say Cunningham is probably the one you could plug in right away and not worry too much about injury or availability in terms of "do we have to put him on a pitch count or no practice to make sure he's ready for Sunday?' I think Zach could walk in and play right away," Tatupu said.

At the end of the day, Tatupu likes the group of linebackers Seattle has assembled in the aftermath of Wagner and Brooks departing. Assuming Baker and Dodson both return early in camp, he has plenty of confidence in both players being able to deliver and doesn't foresee the team needing to make any additional moves to further bolster the unit, especially with him holding Knight in high regard as a rookie who could be ready to play earlier than most anticipate.

Statistically, Baker has demonstrated a well-rounded skill set in his first six seasons with the Dolphins, tallying nearly 600 combined tackles with 22.5 sacks and five interceptions, including returning two of them for touchdowns. Finally getting his chance to play extensive snaps last year, Dodson shined in 10 starts for the Bills, setting career-highs with 74 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and eight tackles for loss, suggesting he has the talent to be a long-term starter in the league.

But in the event Baker or Dodson has a prolonged recovery that lasts deep into August and puts one or the other's respective status for Week 1 in jeopardy, Tatupu would be in favor of the Seahawks giving Cunningham a shot over the rest of the possible veteran reinforcements available. At worst, if he wasn't needed for the season opener and wasn't viewed as one of the top four linebackers on the roster, he could potentially be re-signed to the practice squad as an excellent insurance policy.