Agent: DL Jason Jones agrees to terms with Lions
Mar 13, 2013, 12:59 PM | Updated: 8:39 pm
By Brady Henderson
Defensive lineman Jason Jones has agreed to terms with the Lions, becoming the first of the Seahawks’ unrestricted free agents to join another team.
Jones’ agent, Mike McCartney, tweeted the news Wednesday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports it’s a three-year deal.
Jones, 26, had three sacks in 12 games last season for the Seahawks, who gave him a one-year, $4.5 million deal last offseason with the hope that he could provide an interior pass rush in passing situations. Jones’ season ended early due to a knee injury.
Jones’ underwhelming production might have made it cheaper for the Seahawks to re-sign him. That would have likely been a consideration given their need for pass-rush help and the potential departure of starting defensive tackle Alan Branch, who’s also an unrestricted free agent.
But it’s easy to see why the Lions appealed to Jones. He attended high school in Lathrup Village, Mich. and played collegiately at Eastern Michigan. Jim Schwartz, the Lions’ head coach, was the Titans’ defensive coordinator during Jones’ rookie season in Tennessee.
The Seahawks have eight remaining unrestricted free agents are: Branch, Linebacker Leroy Hill, cornerback Marcus Trufant, tight end Cameron Morrah, tackle Frank Omiyale, defensive end Patrick Chukwurah and kickers Steven Hauschka and Ryan Longwell.
