Seahawks general manager John Schneider is betting on himself for these great reasons

Hawks linebackers can now cover the field

No, it wasn't any fun to see the Seahawks move on from Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner - especially not Wagner. But as we've discussed before, neither player fit the scheme of Mike Macdonald's defense. Linebackers must be able to cover, and that's the weak point of both their games.

So it made perfect sense for the Hawks to bring Tyrel Dodson to Seattle. He can shut down the run and blanket the middle of the field. One refreshing aspect of his game for 12s is that he was graded as the best linebacker in the league by Pro Football Focus (subscription required), yet committed just one penalty.

The Hawks wasted no time in adding linebacker Jerome Baker to the team after Dodson. Like his former AFC East foe, Baker is a perfect fit for the Hawks' new-look defense. PFF didn't grade him as highly as Dodson overall, but like his new teammate, he can cover. In that aspect of his game, at least, he matches the far more renowned Patrick Queen. Queen signed with the Steelers for $41 million over three years. Sure, it would have been great to get him. But the Seahawks needed two linebackers, and now have their two starters for a total outlay of (reportedly) $12.5 million.

Again, it's not about signing name players. It's about signing team players. I'm not casting aspersions on Wilkins, Hunter, or Queen, and certainly not on Wagner or Brooks. In this context, I mean players who play within the concept of the team and fit their roles better than a more costly player might. Dodson and Baker are a perfect fit for the Seahawks. As John Schneider pointed out per Brandon Gustafson of Seattle Sports, both have been signal callers for their respective teams, so we can expect better communication on the Hawks as well.