The Seattle Seahawks released leading tackler Tyrel Dodson, continuing an overhaul of the team’s linebacker corps after a bye week.
Seattle has lost five of its past six games after a 3-0 start, dropping the team to last place in the NFC West. That prompted head coach Mike Macdonald to warn that “everything is on the table” regarding potential changes to the roster, coaching schedules and practice regimes.
“I think we’re doing a lot of good things, but if you just go at it with a myopic eye, ‘Hey, it’s only here,’ then you might miss something,” Macdonald told reporters via the Tacoma Gregg Bell from NewsTribune. “I don’t want to miss anything. So let’s go through it with a fine-toothed comb and let’s be honest and let’s go.”
Apparently that fairness also applied to Dodson, who joined the Seahawks this season on a one-year, $4.26 million contract after four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. The 26-year-old led Seattle with 71 tackles in nine games, including five tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. Additionally, Dodson was credited with two passes defended and one forced fumble.
Dodson started the season as the Seahawks’ middle linebacker, wearing the “green dot” helmet to relay play calls from the sideline. However, he was moved to weakside linebacker the past two games after Ernest Jones IV was acquired from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for LB Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick.
Financially, the Seahawks don’t lose much by cutting Dodson, which is likely why this move was made. The only guaranteed part of his contract was a $1 million signing bonus. Otherwise, his base salary was $2.25 million with roster bonuses per game of $760,000 and a training bonus of $250,000.
With Dodson released, rookie Tyrice Knight or Drake Thomas are expected to take over at weakside linebacker. Josh Ross could also be in the mix, with Jones manning the center and Derick Hall and Boye Mafe playing the outside in Macdonald’s 3-4 defensive scheme.
To fill Dodson’s spot on the roster, Seattle signed cornerback Josh Jobe from its practice squad.
Next up for Seattle in Week 11 is a divisional matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
