Seahawks: 3 replacements for Bobby Wagner if Seattle releases him

Josey Jewell

Seattle adding Josey Jewell simply makes too much sense. Jewell has played for four years in the NFL and his time on defense has been under the coaching of Ed Donatell. Donatell has helped Jewell develop into a terrific coverage linebacker. Jewell isn’t the most athletic player but he is smart and knows where to be on each play.

Donatell, of course, will be joining the Seahawks as a senior defensive assistant and the assumption is he will be the pass game coordinator. Wherever Donatell has been over his long coaching career, his defenses have produced at a high level against the pass. One issue Seattle has had against the pass recently, especially in 2021, was poor coaching of how far back the linebackers should play in coverage.

Donatell will fix this and bringing in Jewell only speeds up the resolution of the problem. Jewell could instantly plugin next to Brooks, allowing Brooks to slide into Wagner’s vacated spot, and help the Seahawks be more creative in how to use Brooks while also making the overall defense better.

Jewell did miss most of 2021 with a torn pectoral muscle but before this season he had only missed one game in three years. Jewell also doesn’t miss on tackles having missed just 3.4 percent of his attempts in 2020. Jewell, like the others on this list, shouldn’t be overly expensive either. He might sign a one-year deal for around $6 million.