NFL free agency analysis says Seahawks have only 1 of the top 10 at any position

Assuming they're not trading DK Metcalf, the Seattle Seahawks' most important order of business in the coming days will be working out a new contract with starting QB Geno Smith. From there, the Seahawks have to secure their most-critical pending free agent, middle linebacker Ernest Jones.

Jones was not single-handedly responsible for Seattles' defensive surge in the second half of the 2024 season, but he was by far the biggest part of it. The Seahawks should be looking to re-sign Jones to a long-term deal and the reporting suggests both sides expect a deal to get done.

That's far from guaranteed, though - especially because Jones could cash in as much as anyone playing his position this offseason. According to an analysis by David DeChant at The Athletic, Jones is the third-best linebacker in this free agent class beneath late-blooming All-Pro Zack Baun of the Philadelphia Eagles and Seahawks nemesis Dre Greenlaw with the 49ers.

However, Jones has an edge over those two in that he's only 25 years old, whereas Greenlaw and Baun are both 28. Nick Bolton from the Chiefs and Jamien Sherwood from the Jets are also 25, but they're ranked beneath Jones.

While not every big deal resets the market, there's a decent chance that Jones' reps are pushing to match or best the $20 million a year that Roquan Smith is making, which is the most for any NFL inside linebacker at the moment.

Part of that projection is just the inflationary nature of player salaries when the cap ceiling is going up every year and part of it is legitimate merit on Jones' part as he enters the prime years of his career. Jones is playing his position at an elite level and deserves to be paid as such. With his best football still ahead of him, any dollar Seattle can get away with for less than that high mark set by Smith is probably going to become a bargain in the long run.

Elsewhere on the list, former Seahawks like Bobby Wagner (35), Russell Wilson (36) and cornerback DJ Reed (28) could be found, but Jones is the only current Seattle player to make the cut.

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