3 worst contracts on the Seahawks' payroll ahead of free agency

Defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones

I have a lot of faith that Mike Macdonald will make Jones the best player he can possibly be. Macdonald has a history of that, of course, and was able to make Justin Madubuike into a Second-Team All-Pro with the Baltimore Ravens. Jones isn't quite as talented as Madubuike, but he is not far off and has the same kind of versatility as Jones can play defensive end or tackle.

That might have been part of the issue with Jones in his first season with the Seahawks in 2023. Defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt appeared clueless in the best situations to put Jones in and, unfortunately, former head coach Pete Carroll seemed to be no help in that aspect. Jones began the season playing mostly tackle and, as that was not working well, Seattle moved him to end and he did a bit better.

Seattle's past confusion on what scheme to use and where to put players will not be an issue under Macdonald. The coach probably already has an idea about how to use Jones. But Jones has to prove his worth next season. His cap hit is $18,176,666 in 2024, a jump from $10,056,666 in 2023. In 2025, Jones' cap number grows to $23,176,668 but Seattle would save $16.5 million by releasing him next offseason. This is a make-or-break season for Jones with the Seahawks.

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