The Seahawks haven’t had much history of jumping into the early stages of free agency under General Manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll. But they wanted defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones badly enough to do what it took to get him.
Jones’ signing became official Thursday.
“It seems like the best fit for me,” Jones said, via John Boyle of the team website. “They have a promising team, a lot of good pieces offensively and defensively. It just seems like the right place to make a new start, have a new beginning.”
The Seahawks went into the offseason wanting to rebuild their defensive front. Jones is a big start.
Jones, 26, totaled 6.5 sacks, 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits in 13 games last season. In four seasons, Jones has 22 sacks, including 5.5 or more in each of the past three seasons.
“I’m definitely a hungry player,” Jones said. “I’m here to be a solution, not a problem. All my life I’ve been an underdog in a way, always kind of counted out in a way. So that’s what motivates me; that’s what drives me. Every play, every game, I take it very seriously.”
The Seahawks also brought Jarran Reed back to town and moved on from Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson. They are expected to add more defensive linemen in the draft.