Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is just giving money away at this point when it comes to one player. The shrewd GM did not mean to make a mistake, but errors are going to happen in the life of an NFL exec. Overall, Schneider has done a good job.
But he shouldn't have signed offensive tackle Josh Jones in free agency this past offseason. Jones is only a backup, sure, but the team must be holding its breath that right tackle Abraham Lucas can continue to stay healthy. Lucas has often been injured over the last couple of seasons.
No one would be wrong to think Lucas, at some point, might miss time. Hopefully, he won't, but history suggests otherwise. If something does happen to him, Jones might not be available to help. The veteran offensive lineman has an ankle injury, and he's already missed a few games.
The Seattle Seahawks signing offensive lineman Josh Jones seems like a bad move
This past offseason, Josh Jones signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks for $4 million. $3 million of that is guaranteed. Compared to some offensive tackles, that isn't much, but for a presumed backup, it's a gamble that, should the player be forced into action, he will be good.
Jones cannot be good because he wouldn't be available. If he were healthy, he'd likely be a solid player. He has been much better in pass protection in his career than in run blocking, and he can play either left or right tackle. Right now, he cannot play either.
This potential issue is that if Cross or Lucas misses time, their immediate backup would be raw rookie Mason Richman. No offense to Richman, but if he has to play, that alone could be enough to sink Seattle in certain games. The Seahawks would have to look at other options to acquire.
The problem is that the options are bad. Isiah Wynn is a free agent and has some experience at tackle, but hasn't played the spot since 2022. And he might still be the best of the bunch.
In other words, Abraham Lucas and Charles Corss, both of whom have been quite good this season, simply cannot get hurt. They have no control over that, though. What the Seattle Seahawks could have controlled was paying money to an offensive tackle besides Josh Jones, who would have been more reliable.