Last offseason, the Seattle Seahawks signed veteran Josh Jones to be a swing player who could back up both left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas. When Jones played, he was pretty good, but he also missed time when he was needing when Cross missed several games at the end of the regular season.
Availability matters, and a player wanting to make themselves available matters more. Head coach Mike Macdonald appeared to make clear while speaking with the media during minicamp this week that Jones needs to take a different approach to his presence with the team.
Asked about Seattle signing free agent veteran Bobby Hart recently, Macdonald said simply that the team needed a third tackle, but added about Jones, "Josh hasn’t practiced yet. So, Josh needs to practice to compete with Bobby...He’s just not ready to practice yet. So he needs to become ready to practice. That’s his responsibility."
Mike Macdonald doesn't seem very pleased with Seattle Seahawks backup offensive tackle Josh Jones
For a head coach who really doesn't like talking about injuries and makes fun of the entire situation, as reporters know Macdonald doesn't like doing so, for him to say that Jones has a "responsibility" to get ready to practice speaks volumes.
That implies that the issue isn't some small matter of Jones being hurt, but that the veteran might not be willing to push himself to return. If that is the case, and Macdonald or anyone else with the Seahawks is going to be plainly open about that, then Josh Jones isn't likely to be with the team much longer.
In fact, 12s might not be surprised to see that Jones has been released. Team culture comes first for the organization, and if a player implies they don't want to be a part of what is happening (and not preparing oneself to practice would be a sign of that), then general manager John Schneider and Macdonald aren't going to keep them around.
As for Hart, he hasn't been very good throughout his career. He's bounced around the league quite a bit and has never been a long-term starter. He hasn't shown great efficiency in either run-blocking or pass protection.
This could mean that the Seattle Seahawks aren't done looking for another offensive tackle to sign. Counting on Cross and Lucas to stay completely healthy for a full season isn't a good approach. The team must have backups capable of performing at close to the level of those two players. Hart hasn't done that during his career.
Several veteran offensive tackles are available as free agents, but the difference is vast between a player like Taylor Decker and a player presumed to be a backup. Hart might not be the best player to potentially replace Cross or Lucas, but most free agents aren't either. To be sure, Josh Jones could soon be joining the list of free agents.
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