Seahawks Sign Former Bills LB Tyrel Dodson
Following a free agent visit with the team on Friday, the Seattle Seahawks have finally added a veteran linebacker to their defense in former Bills starter Tyrel Dodson.
According to Jordyn Schultz of Bleacher Report, the 25-year old Dodson and Seattle have agreed to terms on a contract. Financial terms and length of the deal have yet to be disclosed.
Undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2019, Dodson signed with the Bills and after being arrested for accusations of domestic violence, he received a six-game suspension from the NFL and was subsequently waived after pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges. Buffalo eventually re-signed him to the practice squad, but he didn't appear in any regular season games as a rookie.
Putting the prior incident behind him and working to rebuild his reputation in the locker room and with the fan base, Dodson earned a spot on Buffalo's roster in 2020, appearing in 10 games while making 22 tackles. In each of his first three seasons where he spent time on the active roster, he logged fewer than 220 defensive snaps, primarily contributing on special teams while making only five total starts.
But last season, in part due to an injury to starting linebacker Matt Milano, Dodson stepped into the lineup as a full-time starter for the first time and thrived making plays all over the field. Along with posting a career-best 74 combined tackles, he registered 2.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and two pass breakups in a breakout season.
Looking at advanced metrics, Dodson graded out as one of Pro Football Focus' three best linebackers in 2023, finishing with an elite 86.8 coverage grade that ranked ahead of Ravens All-Pro defender Roquan Smith. Along with a fantastic 10.6 percent run stop rate that ranked in the top 10 for linebackers, he produced 11 pressures and 2.5 sacks on just 41 blitz opportunities as well, posting a gaudy 26.8 percent pressure rate when sent as an extra rusher by the Bills.
Joining the Seahawks, Dodson will undoubtedly have his first shot at being the alpha dog for a linebacker corps that lost former starters Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner as well as reserve Devin Bush in free agency. With no other linebackers on the roster with previous starting experience, the team will continue to scour the market looking for an affordable veteran to pair with him, while drafting a future starter likely remains probable in April.
