The Seattle Seahawks released standout tackler Tyrel Dodson, continuing a revamp of the team’s linebacking corps following a bye week.
Seattle has lost five of its last six games after a 3-0 start, leaving the team in last place in the NFC West. That led head coach Mike Macdonald to warn that “everything is on the table” regarding possible roster changes, training schemes and practice regimens.
“I think we’re doing a lot of good things, but if you go in with a myopic view of ‘Hey, it’s just over here,’ then you could miss something,” Macdonald told reporters, via the Tacoma. News Tribune’s Gregg Bell. “I don’t want to miss anything. So let’s take a hard look at it, be honest, and let’s go.”
That honesty obviously applies 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 began the season as the Seahawks’ middle linebacker and wore the “green dot” helmet to relay play calls from the sideline. However, he was moved to weakside linebacker for the final 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 probably why the 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 per-game roster bonuses 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, while Jones mans the middle and Derick Hall and Boye Mafe play on 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.
Up next for Seattle in Week 11 is a divisional matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.