Mike Macdonald's arrival in Seattle might just be what unlocks Dre'Mont Jones' full potential.
Jones' first season with the Seahawks didn't amount to spectacular numbers off the heels of a three-year, $51 million contract he signed last year. The 4.5 sacks Jones produced in 2023 were the lowest since his rookie season with the Denver Broncos, but Macdonald's scheme is expected to benefit a versatile player who can play multiple positions along the defensive line -- and vice versa.
"I think his skill set lends to trying to play a little matchup ball with him or setting another guy up," Macdonald said once minicamp concluded, via ESPN's Brady Henderson. "He can do a lot of things. We've talked about it, but we're really excited about Dre'Mont."
Macdonald's scheme offers pre-snap looks, which are prone to confuse opposing offensive lines. That turbulence continues once the ball is snapped, and Macdonald's defenses have earned top-five sack totals in each of his two NFL seasons as a defensive coordinator, including the league-leading 60.0 sacks the Ravens produced in 2023.
Jones' first season with the Seahawks was dependable despite the low snack numbers as he saw career highs in tackles (49) and QB hits (12) while playing in all 17 games. But the 27-year-old's ability to play both in and outside on a play-to-play basis wasn't fully realized last season, which Macdonald plans to change in 2024.
Leonard Williams, who arrived in Seattle via trade midway through last season, is another versatile piece for Macdonald to employ alongside Jones, and the veteran has been preparing this offseason by practicing at multiple positions.
"I think it benefits us in creating matchups where you're putting the defensive player in the best position and then you're also confusing the offense," Williams said.
"It makes it harder for the offense to study us knowing that they may see Dre'Mont at a five-technique on film, and then when we line up and play against them, he's probably going to be playing zero- or three-technique. So it's harder for an offense to scheme against one specific player because we move around so much."
Improving a Seahawks defense that finished 30th in yards allowed per game (371.4) last season will be a point of emphasis in Macdonald's first year as head coach, and it's sure to offer some challenges.
The unit's projected lineup already reflects the end of Pete Carroll's legendary tenure following the offseason exits of Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. Seattle has the capacity to replace longtime veterans with a stellar young secondary and a versatile D-line that was reinforced with the first-round selection of Byron Murphy II in April's draft.
Expect Jones to become a key figure in utilizing Macdonald's strategy of disguising and disrupting at the point of attack.
"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, it just opens up more personnel groups, more looks you can generate," Macdonald said. "Overall, it's good for us. ... We'll kind of reassess how the spring has been, reassess our plan going into camp, and then as camp goes, we're going see how it evolves throughout camp. I think you have to have that attitude. If you just cookie cutter it ... I think you limit yourself on how far you can take your team."
