Seahawks To Sign LB Tyrel Dodson
Following a career-best season in 2023, Tyrel Dodson is heading west. The former Bills linebacker is signing with the Seahawks, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
The former UDFA out of Texas A&M had spent his entire five-year career with the Bills. A suspension and a practice-squad stint led to a redshirt rookie campaign, and Dodson mostly played a special teams role in 2020 and 2021. After seeing an uptick in defensive snaps in 2022, the fifth-year player took off in 2023.
Dodson started 10 of his 17 appearances this past season while getting into more than half of the Bills’ defensive snaps. He finished the campaign with 74 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus was especially fond of his performance, ranking Dodson as their top linebacker for the 2023 season. The 25-year-old’s PFF grade was brought up by elite scores for run defense and coverage.
The Seahawks have lost some significant linebacker depth in free agency, with both Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner signing elsewhere. Dodson provides the organization with some experience at outside linebacker. The team’s other options include Patrick O’Connell, Jon Rhattigan, and Drake Thomas; that trio has combined for 23 career defensive snaps.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/24
Here are today’s free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Giants: CB Nick McCloud
- Rams: LB Michael Hoecht
- Seahawks: CB Michael Jackson, LB Jon Rhattigan
Non-tendered:
- Cardinals: DL Jonathan Ledbetter
- Commanders: LB Jabril Cox, RB Derrick Gore, LB De’Jon Harris
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Panthers: RB/KR Raheem Blackshear
- Titans: LB Jack Gibbens
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, OL Matt Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tony Brown, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Re-signed: P Corey Bojorquez
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT David Sharpe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LB Caleb Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: RB Salvon Ahmed
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Nick Harris
- Re-signed: CB Artie Burns
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: RB Julius Chestnut
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: S Jeremy Reaves
Seahawks Extend OLB Darrell Taylor
After missing his rookie season, Darrell Taylor has proven to be a productive secondary contributor to the Seahawks’ edge contingent. Set to be an RFA, he will not have the opportunity to test the market with the new league year having begun. 
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports the Seahawks are believed to have worked out an extension with Taylor. Rather than tendering the former second-rounder, therefore, a more permanent agreement appears to be in place for a player once in danger of being traded.
Seattle lost Uchenna Nwosu early in the 2023 campaign to a pectoral injury. That left the team without a starting edge rusher, and Taylor saw a 44% defensive snap share for the second straight season. Prior to the former’s injury, however, the latter was on the trade block. The Seahawks were prepared to deal Taylor ahead of the trade deadline, but they ultimately elected to retain him.
Taylor has struggled against the run during his career, but he has maintained a notable role due to his pass-rush production. The 26-year-old posted 6.5 sacks in 2021, then upped that total to 9.5 the following season. Logging five starts in 2023, Taylor produced 5.5 sacks while adding 17 pressures and eight QB hits. While those figures will likely be insufficient to land him a full-time starting opportunity, they have resulted in a second Seattle contract.
The Seahawks could have placed the right of first refusal tag on Taylor, valued at $2.99MM. An unmatched offer sheet would not have yielded any compensation in that case, however. The second-round tender would have guaranteed a draft pick in that round in the event Taylor departed, but it would have come at a cost of $4.89MM. Instead of working with either of those one-year tenders, the Tennessee alum will remain in place on a re-up.
Seattle still has Nwosu on the books for three more seasons. Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are also on their respective rookie deals, so this Taylor agreement will ensure stability for the Seahawks along the edge. The team posted a top-10 finish in sacks last season, and the chances of repeating that success will be high with continuity at the OLB spot.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/24
During a busy day of transactions and headlines, teams still had time for a few free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Chiefs: G Mike Caliendo, LB Cole Christiansen, LB Jack Cochrane, DE Malik Herring, CB Nazeeh Johnson
RFAs
Tendered:
- Seahawks: DT Myles Adams
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OT Hakeem Adeniji
- Re-signed: OL Michael Dunn
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS Trent Sieg
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Michael Burton
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OL Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Corey Ballentine, TE Tyler Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: S Deon Bush
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB William Kwenkeu
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LB Christian Elliss, OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: LS Rick Lovato, P Braden Mann
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: P Cameron Johnston
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Saahdiq Charles
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
Seahawks To Re-Sign DL Leonard Williams
Negotiations between the Seahawks and Leonard Williams will produce an agreement. Although the Giants footed most of the interior D-lineman’s bill last year, the Seahawks are still prepared to pay up to keep the 2023 trade acquisition.
Williams will stay in Seattle on a three-year deal worth $21.5MM per season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This represents Williams’ second $20MM-per-year accord; he signed the other in 2021 as a Giant. This also makes the Seahawks’ D-line one of the NFL’s most expensive position groups, with Dre’Mont Jones tied to a $17MM-AAV accord. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the sides were closing in on a deal.
The Seahawks are guaranteeing $43.85MM of this contract, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. This might not be the guarantee at signing; nevertheless, Williams has again done well to maximize his value. The Giants guaranteed him $45MM on their three-year, $63MM accord, but that came to prevent a second franchise tag from going on the books. Williams did not have that leverage this time, but after the Seahawks gave up second- and fifth-round picks to acquire the former top-10 pick at the deadline, they are keeping the asset.
Williams, 29, has not posted more than seven sacks in a season in any year besides his well-timed 2020 showing (11.5); he tallied 5.5 (four as a Seahawk) and 16 QB hits in 2023. Williams also has an extensive track record as a quality run defender, though his best work on that front came back in his Jets days. The former top-10 pick played well in Seattle, however, and the Seahawks will put him back to work in a new defensive scheme.
This marks a multiyear pivot for the Seahawks, who were not known for interior D-line spending under Pete Carroll. They now have Williams and Jones signed to upper-crust DT contracts. Both players have worked exclusively in 3-4 schemes in their careers, and Mike Macdonald — after turning Justin Madubuike loose in Baltimore last season — will go about devising concepts to coax the most out of his high-priced D-line presences.
Seahawks To Re-Sign TE Noah Fant
Noah Fant is sticking with the Seahawks. The tight end is signing a two-year, $21MM deal to stay in Seattle, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
Fant was among the best tight ends available in this year’s free agency class. We’ve already seen a handful of players at the position come off the board, with Fant representing one of the top remaining options.
The Russell Wilson trade piece has not quite justified his first-round pedigree, but he’s still been productive since joining the Seahawks. The organization picked up the tight end’s fifth-year option following the trade, allowing the Seahawks to squeeze two years out of their acquisition.
Fant has two 670-yard receiving seasons on his resume, both coming in Denver. The Seahawks did not utilize Fant in the same way. After back-to-back 90-target seasons as a Bronco, the Iowa alum drew only 82 in two Seahawk seasons.
Fant finished his first season in Seattle with 50 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns. His counting stats took a significant step back this past season, with Fant hauling in only 32 catches in 17 games. While those numbers won’t have anyone confusing Fant with a top-tier TE, the player is still young, durable (two career games missed) and clocked a sub-4.5-second 40 time at the 2019 Combine.
With Fant, Dalton Schultz, and Hunter Henry off the free agent board, Gerald Everett likely stands as the best remaining TE on the market.
Dolphins To Sign LB Jordyn Brooks
Jordyn Brooks is heading to Miami. The former Seahawks linebacker is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Brooks is signing a three-year deal worth $30MM.
After an ACL tear late in the 2022 season, Brooks returned by Week 1 and managed to start 16 games for Seattle last season. Back alongside Bobby Wagner last year, he added 4.5 sacks — more than his 2020-22 season totals combined.
That performance set Brooks up for a nice pay day. Among the four linebackers to see his fifth-year option declined in 2023, Brooks was the most productive of the bunch, with 184- and 161-tackle seasons under his belt. The Texas Tech proved that he was nearly back to his previous playing level following the 2022 injury, and the Dolphins will surely be counting on big things from the LB in 2024.
David Long Jr. is expected to anchor the linebackers corps in 2024, but the Dolphins suddenly had major holes elsewhere on the depth chart. With Andrew Van Ginkel heading to the Vikings and Jerome Baker having been released, the Dolphins were actively in the market for some reinforcement at the position.
The team added Anthony Walker earlier today, providing one dependable player at the position. Brooks will provide the Dolphins with even more options at linebacker, with the organization having completely revamped their depth in only a few hours.
The Seahawks will now have a significant hole to fill at inside linebacker with Brooks gone. Bobby Wagner is also a free agent, meaning the team could be eyeing a completely new grouping in 2024.
Seahawks, 49ers To Host S Rayshawn Jenkins
MARCH 11: Jenkins’ next visit will see him meet with the 49ers next week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. It comes as little surprise that multiple teams will look into a Jenkins deal given his continued production, and safety could be an area San Francisco looks to upgrade this offseason. It will be interesting to see if a deal with the Seahawks or 49ers materializes relatively soon, or if further suitors emerge.
MARCH 10: Former Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins was part of the recent purge of veteran safeties around the league after getting cut earlier this week. The 30-year-old out of Miami (FL) wasn’t able to finish out his four-year deal in Jacksonville, but he’s already on to the next chapter as Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report tells us that Jenkins is currently en route to Seattle to visit with the Seahawks. 
Jenkins took a couple years to develop as a fourth-round pick, becoming a starter in his third year with the Chargers. In two years as a starter in Los Angeles, Jenkins reeled in five picks while breaking up eight passes. His short sample size as a starter was enough to earn him $8.75MM per year with the Jaguars.
Over his time in Jacksonville, Jenkins has continued producing, nabbing five more interceptions and 24 passes defensed in three years, as well as finishing top-four in tackles on the team in all three seasons. Despite his production, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has not reflected his time with the Jaguars favorably. This year saw his best grade with the team as he finished 70th out of 95 ranked safeties in the league.
Still, Jenkins is expected to field lots of interest in free agency. Seattle is in need of a veteran safety after cutting both Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. Depending on how the contracts of pending free agent cornerbacks Michael Jackson and Artie Burns play out, Jenkins could be set to rejoin two former Miami teammates in the opposite corner of the country.
Other teams that could show interest in Jenkins are the Broncos, Cardinals, Bears, Bills, and Lions, who are all also parting ways with starting safeties this offseason. There are several free agent safeties available after all of the recent releases, but Jenkins seems to be getting a head start on finding a new home for 2024 as Schultz reports that Jenkins has several other potential visits on the docket, as well.