The Seahawks took their first big step toward clearing some much-needed cap space today when they released four veteran players. No name was bigger than Dre'Mont Jones. All four releases create just not cap space, but point out the need to improve the roster as well.
Per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the Seahawks released four veteran players today. No name was bigger than Dre'Mont Jones, who John Schneider signed in one of the Hawks biggest free-agent deals ever three seasons ago. Seattle restructured his deal last year but never saw the production they expected from the six-year veteran.
In addition to Jones, Seattle released fellow defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and safety Rayshawn Jenkins. The offense didn't go unscathed, as offensive tackle George Fant was released, too. Jenkins was injured in Week 6 and lost his starting gig to Coby Bryant. Fant only got 30 snaps and wound up on injured reserve, while Robertson-Harris saw his role decline as the season progressed. In all, the Seahawks cleared a little over $27 million against the cap.
The Seahawks cleared cap space and ended four less-than-perfect explorations
Obviously, none of the four players panned out as the Seahawks would have liked. George Fant was expected to be a feel-good story in Seattle, the prodigal son's return. After three seasons in Seattle, he plied his trade within the hellscape of the New York Jets. At the least, he was to be insurance at right tackle as the Hawks waited for Abe Lucas to return from injury. Instead, it was Fant who suffered more injuries. He only got 30 snaps over two games before ending the season on injured reserve.
Rayshawn Jenkins had just been given the okay by the Seahawks to seek a trade a few days ago. Seattle and John Schneider clearly got no offers they were willing to accept, And since they released Jenkins today, you have to think they got no offers at all. Jenkins played hard as a rotational piece when he did get back on the field, so he deserves the jumpstart on the free agent market he now has.
Robertson-Harris got far more playing time than either Fant or Jenkins, as he appeared in all 17 games. But his value as a rotational player dropped significantly as the season progress. He had 91 snaps over the first two games. His snap count steadily declined, until after Week 9, he never reached 20 until the season finale. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him at number 81 among defensive tackles. The Hawks can find better use for that money.
As for Jones, his release ends one of Schneider's biggest gambles. He was the big-name free agent the 12s had asked for for years. Until he wasn't, that is. He never reached his career-high of 6.5 sacks he set with the Broncos before signing with Seattle. Moving him to the edge helped his production, but nearly enough to justify his price tag.
The four moves cleared $27.25 million from the Seahawks cap, to be precise. They're now about $20.5 under the cap. The release of Jones resulted in the biggest cut, of course, at $11.2 million. Robertson-Harris saved $6.6 million, Jenkins saved $5.2 million, and Fant, a final $3.2 million respectively. I'm sure all 12s wish them well in 2025 - as long as they're not facing the Hawks, that is.