Wyman provides a linebacker’s view on Seahawks trade for Ernest Jones IV

The Seattle Seahawks have made an interesting midseason change at linebacker, acquiring fourth-year pro Ernest Jones IV from the Tennessee Titans for seventh-year LB Jerome Baker and a fifth-round NFL Draft pick.

Bump: What changes for Seahawks with trade for LB Ernest Jones IV

What led the Seahawks to swapping a player they signed in the offseason (Baker) for one a few years younger who plays the same position? Our resident linebacker at Seattle Sports, Dave Wyman, shared his insight during Wednesday’s edition of Wyman and Bob.

Wyman, who played for the Seahawks and Denver Broncos from 1987-95 and is now the color commentator on Seahawks Radio Network broadcasts, explained what Jones should bring at the “Mike” position (strongside inside linebacker in the Seahawks’ scheme) that Baker didn’t for Seattle.

“It’s a pretty big move. I would say other than offensive line, the inside backers have been the biggest problem with all of runs that are gashing this defense,” Wyman said. “The one thing that you did see was that there was a lack of physicality at middle linebacker at the Mike position. … With the Mike, there’s more responsibility and you have to be a bit of a hammer.

“I’m not gonna sit here and badmouth Jerome Baker, he is a productive player, but I think that’s just something that they wanted him to do and he didn’t do. Whereas Ernest Jones, by all accounts, is a little bit more stout, and he is like an old school, downhill linebacker. And that’s kind of what they need.”

Jones, who spent his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Titans this year, will now play alongside Tyrel Dodson, another first-year Seahawks linebacker who is holding down the “Will” (weakside insider linebacker) spot for Seattle.

“I think with the Will, you can be more of a finesse player,” Wyman said. “You can be a guy that maybe goes under a block on a play away … I know for me (when I played the Will position), sometimes on a play away I wasn’t accounted for. I could just fly around and make plays – back when I had speed. And Dodson has a ton of speed.

“I also think he needs to be more physical, but … I think what you’re bringing in is a guy that’s gonna be more of of a hammer (in Jones).”

Wyman’s co-host Bob Stelton added some insight to the conversation after talking to “somebody close to the Rams,” and it should raise Hawks fans’ eyebrows in a good way.

“I just said, ‘Hey, give me your thoughts on Ernest Jones. What kind of a player is he?’ And the response was ‘Bobby Wagner clone’ – which will get a lot of fans excited,” Stelton said. “But he also said, ‘Same style, good and bad,’ so take that for what it’s worth. ‘Ernest is a really, really good player that will make a few great plays per year.'”

Captain Jones. 🫡#ProBowlVote | @ernestjones53 pic.twitter.com/v5vGfoR8FB

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 19, 2023

Plug and play?

Wyman wonders if the Seahawks could have Jones in the mix right away on Sunday when the NFC West leaders host the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills. The reason? Jones played the Bills last week with the Titans. Not only that, but Seattle’s opponent the following week are the Rams, who Jones clearly knows in and out after his time with the division rivals.

“It makes you kind of think, alright, well, he’s gonna have some familiarity and you think he probably can come in and jump right into the starting lineup,” Wyman said. “We’ll see, but the other guy that would probably take over that position would be a rookie in Tyrice Knight, so I would think that he would get put into action right away.”

By the way, another potential benefit for the Seahawks this week against the Bills is that both Dodson and assistant head coach Leslie Frazier were recently with Buffalo. Dodson was drafted by the Bills in 2020 and was with them until this year, while Frazier was Buffalo’s defensive coordinator from 2017-22 as well as assistant head coach in 2021 and 2022.

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Wyman and Bob airs from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports 710 AM, the Seattle Sports app and SeattleSports.com.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• NFC West is a jumbled mess, and that’s good news for Seahawks
• Seahawks Wednesday Injury Report: DK, K9 among players out
• Brock Huard Reacts: Why Seahawks made trade for LB Jones
• Two key injured Seahawks O-linemen designated to return
• Seattle Seahawks have something ‘hard to find’ in Byron Murphy II

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