How Seahawks’ less-heralded trade has impacted D-line

The midseason trade for linebacker Ernest Jones IV has received plenty of credit for the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive turnaround, but it’s not the only deal that’s had a positive effect on the defense.

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On Oct. 14, 10 days before Jones was acquired, the Seahawks struck a less-heralded deal for defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 6-foot-5, 290-pound veteran.

The 31-year-old Robertson-Harris isn’t an every-down player and hasn’t put up eye-popping stats during his seven games with Seattle. His impact on the team, however, has gone beyond the stats. Head coach Mike Macdonald explained how when he was asked about Robertson-Harris during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Monday morning.

“We love Roy, and thanks to (general manager) John (Schneider) and the crew for bringing him in. He’s tough as nails. He’s an awesome guy to be around,” Macdonald said. “And then I think he can do multiple things across the front, like he can play the edge to the C-gap, to the B-gap, and we wouldn’t feel bad with him in the A-gap. It’s like, man, how many guys can do that?”

“When you’re doing that, I mean, he’s doing a lot of the dirty work,” Macdonald added.

Robertson-Harris was acquired while the Seahawks were dealing with injuries that magnified a need for more depth on their defensive front. Rookie first-round pick Byron Murphy II had just missed three games, which forced the team to use 32-year-old Johnathan Hankins in an expanded role beyond what had been expected. Hankins played 41 snaps in each game Murphy missed, including a Week 4 clash with the Detroit Lions when Murphy and standout defensive lineman Leonard Williams were both out.

With the addition of Robertson-Harris and improved health up front, Seattle has had the luxury of a deep rotation on the D-line at its disposal. Veterans like Hankins and Robertson-Harris have been able to play condensed roles to keep them fresh, with Robertson-Harris averaging 15.3 snaps and Hankins 14 during the four-game winning streak since the team’s Week 10 bye. Williams has also broke out in a major way recently with his two best games as a Seahawk in Weeks 12 and 13.

Boye and Hank 💪 pic.twitter.com/kHQWxmFpNH

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 8, 2024

Macdonald highlighted how Robertson-Harris has given the coaches the opportunity to playe others in more suitable roles.

“(He’s) doing a lot of stuff that (Williams) would have done on early downs. I think it’s kind of defined Dre’Mont (Jones’) role where Dre’Mont doesn’t have to be a guy where he is having to plug other places,” Macdonald said. “Now he can kind of just do what he’s doing really well, so there’s a ripple effect kind of throughout the line. And then anytime you can add a great player to a room, then of course your depth’s going to be improved in that matter, and so that’s great for us.”

Listen to the full conversation with Mike Macdonald at this link or in the audio player in this story. Hear The Mike Macdonald Show live at 9:30 a.m. the day after Seahawks games or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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