Seahawks Upgrade at LB with Ernest Jones

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Seattle clearly believes Jones to be an upgrade over Baker, who arrived on a one-year deal this past offseason.

Baker has been a full-timer with the Seahawks, playing 90% of snaps or more in the four games he didn't leave early with injury. That included three games of 98% or more.

Expect Jones to take over that spot and likely play 100% of snaps weekly going forward. He might not be ready for that large a role this week, though, just four days after switching teams.

Jones went from the Rams to the Titans on Aug. 27 and then opened the season playing just 46% of the Week 1 snaps. He played every defensive snap the next game, however, and then missed just 3 total snaps across his other five games.

Dynasty Impact

Jones remains in the final year of his contract. His lack of a new deal with the Rams was reported as a key reason he requested the trade from L.A.

Tennessee got him then for merely a swap of late-round 2026 picks (giving a fifth and getting a sixth).

Seattle paid significantly more this time around, which might indicate greater willingness to work out an extension beyond this season.

Jones still doesn't turn 25 until late November and remained productive through his move to the Titans. If anything, this trade indicates that he's more valued now vs. just two months ago.

That's good for Jones' long-term outlook.

Other Winners & Losers

We'll see exactly what Baker's role looks like in Tennessee. But his valuation has run opposite to Jones' this year.

Miami dumped the veteran coming off an injury, which made him available to Seattle. And then the Seahawks had to significantly increase the draft-pick cost to get Jones from Tennessee.

Perhaps Baker takes over Jones' vacated role. But he's at least a less-good bet for full playing time.

And Tennessee might be looking to work rookie Cedric Gray into the lineup when he returns from the shoulder injury that landed him on IR to open the season.

The team has until Week 9 to decide whether to activate Gray or leave him on IR for the rest of the year.