Head coach Mike Macdonald aims to make the Seattle Seahawks’ defense more versatile under his leadership.
Defensint Jones is a key player Macdonald highlighted for his potential, and the head coach expects Jones to have a career year in 2024.
Seattle should field a balanced team next season, with an offense led by Geno Smith and a defense led by Macdonald and Jones.
In a stunning turn of events, Pete Carroll stepped down from his role as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason, transitioning into an advisory role with the franchise in advance of the 72-year-old’s well-earned retirement.
In turn, they hired Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to be their new head coach. Macdonald had just led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game after coaching the league’s best scoring defense (16.5 points allowed per game), and he’s earned nothing but effusive praise from his former players.
Now, in a new interview with ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Macdonald discussed his goals for the Seahawks’ defense this year, including his desire to push his players to be more versatile.
“When you have guys that can do multiple things, play different gaps in the run game and rush at different levels in the pass game, and you can have more big guys [on the defensive line doing those things], it just opens up more personnel groups, more looks you can generate.”
One player in particular Macdonald repeatedly called out was Dre’Mont Jones, the defensive tackle who signed a three-year, $51.53 million deal with Seattle last offseason.
Macdonald credited Jones for being in “great shape” and for staying up to speed with Seattle’s schematic defensive installation despite being away from the facility during voluntary Organized Team Activities (he was away for the birth of his second child). However, Jones had a down year last season, posting his lowest sack total (3.5) and tackles for loss total (5) since his rookie season in 2019.
If Seattle’s defense is going to improve in 2024, the team will need Jones, re-signed defensive tackle Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and others on the defensive line to step up and execute Macdonald’s gameplan
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