Veteran Newcomers Paying Dividends For First-Place Seattle Seahawks

NFL teams don't buy division championships or Super Bowls in free agency, but thrifty signings such as Rayshawn Jenkins have worked out beautifully so far for the Seahawks.

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) celebrates during the second quarter against Miami Dolphins at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images / Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - Exiting the tunnel following halftime in Sunday's home tilt against the Miami Dolphins, the Seattle Seahawks quickly announced defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II would not return to play due to injuries, creating major depth concerns in the trenches.

Already without Myles Adams, who was deactivated as a healthy scratch, the absence of Williams and Murphy left Seattle with only three healthy defensive tackles in Jarran Reed, Mike Morris, and Johnathan Hankins. Out of necessity, Dre'Mont Jones slid back inside for a handful of snaps in the interior after making the transition to outside linebacker this offseason.

Needing to step up with few options to rotate into the lineup, however, Hankins rose to the occasion, as the 320-pound nose tackle logged a season-high 33 snaps, playing more than 50 percent of Seattle's defensive plays. The 32-year old veteran didn't hit a wall after halftime, plugging up running lanes, devouring double teams, and making a handful of tackles, including a tackle for loss in the backfield, helping the team shut down Miami in a dominant 24-3 victory and hold the opposition to 3.6 yards per carry on the ground.

Traditional nose tackles such as Hankins primarily see the field on early downs, thus limiting snap workload in most games, but the former Ohio State standout has been an exception to the rule for most of his career, playing at least 50 percent of the defensive snaps in 108 out of 155 games played. After coming over from the Cowboys in free agency to bolster the front line, coach Mike Macdonald wasn't surprised to see him thrive with an increased workload when called upon on Sunday.

"Hank played a great game," Macdonald said on Monday. "He was active in there and played a great job, especially at the nose spot when we had him in at zero, but that's why we brought him here, to play games like that. So we're going to need another big game out of him this week."

Splurging on big ticket free agents rarely yields desired results in the NFL, as money won't buy Super Bowl rings, but smart supplemental signings on mid-level veterans can help teams get over the hump. Following a nine-win season that resulted in narrowly missing out on the postseason and a subsequent coaching change from Pete Carroll to Macdonald, the Seahawks have won their first three games behind a stingy defense that has only allowed 14.3 points per game so far.

Though Seattle has plenty of star power from Williams to cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen as well as Pro Bowl safety Julian Love, veteran additions through free agency have played a major role in the rapid turnaround thus far with Macdonald calling the shots.

Statistically, Hankins hasn't produced eye-popping numbers starting all three games for the Seahawks, registering eight tackles and two tackles for loss. But his impact goes far beyond the box score, as he handles the dirty work absorbing double teams and creating stalemates at the line of scrimmage, keeping linebackers and safeties behind him clean to work downhill and make plays, while also occasionally chipping in as an interior pocket-pushing rusher.

Hankins hasn't been the only experienced veteran on the block to make his presence felt either. Behind him, linebacker Tyrel Dodson has seized his first true opportunity to be a full-time starter after coming over from Buffalo on a one-year contract in March, taking on a vocal leadership role in the middle while wearing the green dot as the on-field play caller and providing well-rounded production for Macdonald's defense.

Through three games, Dodson has tallied 21 combined tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, and a pass breakup for the Seahawks, stuffing the stat sheet with positive contributions as a run defender, pass rusher, and cover linebacker. Per Pro Football Focus charting, he currently ranks 14th out of 54 off-ball linebackers (70.0) in overall grade and he's been especially effective as a pass defender, allowing six catches for just 34 yards on 10 targets and a 66.3 passer rating.

In the secondary, after signing a two-year contract weeks after being jettisoned as a cap casualty by the Jaguars, safety Rayshawn Jenkins has provided yet another savvy veteran voice alongside Love to pair with young talents in Witherspoon and Woolen. But he's been more than simply an on-field leader and locker room pillar, as he has been flying all over the field as a playmaker seeing action at all three levels of Seattle's defense.

Capable of playing both safety spots as well as functioning like an extra linebacker in the box, Jenkins has been a catalyst for the Seahawks swarming, hard-hitting attack. Along with totaling 22 combined tackles, he ranks second among safeties in total stops (11) deemed a failed play for the offense behind only Cardinals star Budda Baker and he's been stingy in coverage, surrendering a mere 24 yards and 3.4 yards per reception on nine targets.

"He shows up when the pads came on. That's when you can feel him, and he's a physical presence out there," Macdonald said of Jenkins. "The diverse skill set, he can play all three levels of the field. Play man-to-man, blitz, all the things that we ask our safeties to do. So, playing three positions is just not an easy ask. There's still details that go with each. For him to attack those details and put in the extra time to make himself ready to play mentally so he can play the way that he expects to play is a big ask from us to him. It shows you how much trust we have in him, how much confidence we have in him. He's playing fast, he's playing physical, and he's tackling really well."

Even in a sub-package rotational role, the Seahawks have received quality contributions from safety K'Von Wallace, who forced a fumble in a season-opening win over the Broncos. As for veteran linebacker Jerome Baker, a hamstring injury kept him out last week and has limited him during the early stages of the season, but he has played well in limited snaps, recording nine tackles, a pass breakup, two pressures, and a fumble recovery on 89 defensive snaps.

Stating the obvious, thanks to excellent work from the pro scouting department and new coaching staff, Seattle has done a fine job of bringing quality veterans who fit Macdonald's scheme well into the fold to complement the team's returning young talent without breaking the bank. None of the aforementioned players signed for more than $6 million per year, with Baker being the only defensive free agent with a cap hit north of $6 million in 2024.

If there's a downside, of course, the Seahawks mostly signed free agents to one-year contracts in the offseason, and players such as Dodson could command far more expensive contracts on the open market next spring based on performance. From a long-term perspective, some tough decisions could await on that front with the team having a sticky cap situation next year.

But those choices don't need to be made yet, and with the Seahawks rolling into first place in the NFC West as one of only five undefeated teams remaining, there's no question that the organization hit several home runs in free agency to shore up defensive personnel in the short run. Thanks in part to those shrewd moves for Jenkins, Dodson, and others, the team has positioned themselves favorably to be in the mix for a division title and potentially more in 2024.