Seahawks finally get a linebacker, bringing in top-graded Tyrel Dodson

Only a few minutes after Seahawks president of football operations John Schneider said “obviously we feel like we have a need” at a linebacker, he took a step toward filling it, reaching agreement with free agent Tyrel Dodson.

A league source confirmed the agreement with The Seattle Times. Bleacher Report was first to report it.

Dodson, 25, spent the last five years in Buffalo and started 10 games for the Bills last season making 74 tackles, eight for a loss, after taking over at weakside linebacker for the injured Matt Milano.

Dodson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2019. 

He was suspended six games by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy following an arrest on domestic violence charges. He eventually plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and was waived and later re-signed. 

Terms of his deal were not immediately reported.

The 6-foot, 237-pound Dodson is surely coming in to take over a starting role in a linebacking corps that until Thursday afternoon loomed as the biggest mystery of how the Seahawks had approached the free-agent signing period so far.

Before the agreement with Dodson, the Seahawks had seen their top three inside linebackers from a year ago — Jordyn Brooks (Miami), Bobby Wagner (Washington) and Devin Bush (Cleveland) — sign elsewhere while not bringing in anyone as a replacement.

Schneider said Thursday afternoon during his weekly appearance on the Wyman and Bob Show on Seattle Sports 710 that the linebacking position would be a spot of focus as free agency continued to unfold.

And so it was as they brought in Dodson for a visit earlier in the day and got him signed.

The Seahawks also tendered restricted free agent Jon Rhattigan, who has practiced at linebacker spots.

Dodson finished with the No. 1 grade of all linebackers from Pro Football Focus as he finally saw significant starting experience.

“Dodson carries some risk as a linebacker with only 1,066 career snaps, and one who was not a starter for the Bills until Matt Milano got injured in Week 5 of the 2023 season,’’ PFF wrote. “However, what he did with the opportunity and how he played once he became a starter makes him one of the more intriguing free agents this year. Dodson ended up as PFF’s highest-graded linebacker in 2023 (90.2). He was the only linebacker in the NFL to earn a grade above 83.0 for his work in run defense and coverage.’’

Schneider insisted that there was no intent to ignore the linebacking corps early on. He said the linebacking position in free agency this year “went much more quickly” than it has in the past. One reason for that may be that the draft is not considered overly strong at inside linebacker.

Schneider also said circumstance was at play in the loss of Brooks to Miami.

He said the Seahawks’ first priority in free agency was to re-sign defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who agreed to a three-year deal worth $64.5 million, the largest on a per-year basis the Seahawks have ever given to a defensive player.

At the same time the Seahawks were trying to get that done, Schneider said, Miami was working quickly to sign Brooks.

And Schneider said that without having Williams’ deal done, they couldn’t get a deal done with Brooks. Williams’ salary and cap hits were going to impact the rest of the budget and without knowing that deal would get done — and at what price — they couldn’t make a deal with Brooks, who signed a three-year deal worth $26.250 million.

“It was the timing of it,’’ Schneider said. “… We knew Leonard’s deal was going to affect all of free agency. They had a deal on the table and we just couldn’t move as quickly as they could. They had lost out on a couple guys that day so they were moving quickly.’’

Brooks was the Seahawks’ first-round pick in 2020 and at the time regarded as a potential long-term successor in the middle to Wagner. 

With Wagner turning 34 in June, many figured the Seahawks would prioritize signing Brooks, working on the assumption Wagner might not be back.

Schneider said the Seahawks “love Jordyn,” but “we had to take emotion out of it and do what’s best for the organization, so that’s what we did.’’

Given Wagner’s age and a new coaching staff, it was regarded as less likely that he would be back.

A source said the Seahawks were “uninterested’’ in re-signing Wagner, who ended up signing with Washington on a one-year deal reported to be worth up to $8.5 million with $6 million guaranteed. He made $6.25 million last year.

Schneider did not speak specifically to any negotiations with Wagner but noted that Wagner was attracted to Washington by reuniting with Dan Quinn, the team’s new head coach who was defensive coordinator in Seattle in 2013-14.

Sponsored

“Obviously Bobby being with DQ again, it’s going to be a cool thing,’’ Schneider said, also calling him a “legend’’ and “Hall of Famer.’’

Bush, who played in a reserve role last year, wasn’t expected back and signed with the Browns on Thursday after visiting earlier in the day.

“Obviously we feel like we have a need at linebacker and we will be working to address that position as well as a few others as we keep going here,’’ Schneider said.