Baker, 4th to Titans for LB Ernest Jones IV

[SoulfishHawk]

I don't give a shit about the fourth rounder.

Ernest Jones is a 24 year old stud, and this is a very important year in which to set the tone for the next era. If it's a one year rental, fine. I don't think it is.

Contextually, we should note that the Ravens defense under Mac wasn't this crazy great unit until he got HIS GUYS at LB. Queen sucked ass and the defense was not an elite unit by any means until he got Roquan. Roquan is what allowed that defense to become the unit that got Mac hired here.

John Schneider is the GM of this team. That does not mean he acts alone or without input. His main directive needed to be "Get my coach his goddamn linebackers" and he's done that.

The fourth is worth it. It's worth it even if he leaves. It's more worth it if he stays. This is about as good of a swing at a mid-round vet you'll ever see - best since Quandre Diggs. This guy is as good of a LB as Quandre was a safety, and he's 24.

Well said. And they already have an extra 4th as it is. This kid is a hell of a player, young and hungry. And they'll re-sign him, I have little to no doubt about that.
Let coach Mike build the team HIS way, imo.

 

[seabowl]

Well said. And they already have an extra 4th as it is. This kid is a hell of a player, young and hungry. And they'll re-sign him, I have little to no doubt about that.
Let coach Mike build the team HIS way, imo.

Never been a fan of “well we have an extra pick anyway” mantra. That should never come into the discussion other than having too many picks.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

That's your opinion. My point is that they will still have a 4th round pick. We all see it how we want to, and that's cool. Not about right or wrong, it's about opinions. And we are here to discuss everything Seahawks. Isn't that what we are doing?
I'm taking the positive road.

 

[CouchLogic]

Never been a fan of “well we have an extra pick anyway” mantra. That should never come into the discussion other than having too many picks.

That "extra 4th" just landed a core/starting caliber player. I guess they should bank on the potential of a player that might not make the team? I'd love to see more Brooks and Bartons back there again...

ETA* Seahawks fans, Seattle is never a player in FA, WTF...fire everyone!

Also Seattle fans, Seattle trading mid round picks for starter caliber players, WTF?! Fire everyone.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

THIS ^^^^

Proven players > a 4th round player that MIGHT eventually pan out.

This guy lead the Rams in tackles last season. He's 24 years old. Screw a 4th round pick that may eventually pan out. They went and got a proven player in his prime.

 

[GeekHawk]

Besides, what would we do with an extra 4th round pick? Draft another 3rd-string offensive lineman?

 

[WmHBonney]

No specifics. He was on the 2023 injury reports, (knee), for Weeks 6, 7, 8, & 9. He missed Week 9. He had other injury issues late in 2023. He missed 2024 OTAs with the same knee issues, then missed part of preseason with it as well.

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/rams-linebacker-dealing-with-nagging-injury-held-out-of-practice-01j4yeg7qq71

The knee issues may be overblown. It's really hard to know. There was a report he had character issues in college. He 'seemed' to have an issue with the Rams management which may be why the Rams weren't willing to discuss an extension. Now the Titans are also willing to move on. The 1st of these 2 articles is particularly interesting:

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/08/28/rams-ernest-jones-trade-reason-knee-linebacker-depth/

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/8/27/24229006/rams-earnest-jones-2024-contract-trade-scenarios

Thanks for this.

 

[Seahawkwalt1967]

Jones is very intelligent and disciplined. This is an enormous pickup!

 

[TheLegendOfBoom]

Dot Net can never be happy with anything.

You suck at stopping the run and you go get a young guy that is a team leader, physical, and stops the run for a fourth rounder and a player that would have gotten cut likely anyways, and some are complaining it’s a bad trade.

Unreal.

 

[Appyhawk]

I get the feeling the Jones addition has the POTENTIAL to be as positively impactful as were the additions of Williams and Love. Those two guys have proven to be key cogs, team leaders. and Jones could be another one. We get Nwosu back and you are looking at one of the best defensive fronts in the league.

 

[cymatica]

Dot Net can never be happy with anything.

You suck at stopping the run and you go get a young guy that is a team leader, physical, and stops the run for a fourth rounder and a player that would have gotten cut likely anyways, and some are complaining it’s a bad trade.

Unreal.

Probably carry-over Mariner fans who have learned to take comfort in losing

 

[CouchLogic]

Seahawks fans can never be happy with anything.

FIFY.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Dot Net can never be happy with anything.

You suck at stopping the run and you go get a young guy that is a team leader, physical, and stops the run for a fourth rounder and a player that would have gotten cut likely anyways, and some are complaining it’s a bad trade.

Unreal.

Yup. Complain about the team having a need. Address said need........still complaints.

Oh well. Hopefully he just balls out.

 

[Seahawks fan]

I love this move we got younger, faster & more athletic and if he plays well then we got a quality player for only a 4th rd pick, in reality Baker isn't the future at the position, but hopefully Ernest can be..

 

[knownone]

I don't see the Roquan parrellels. He was an all-pro and is one of the two best all around LBs in the NFL. Jones, on paper, is currently a run stuffer. That happens to be a position we need, but it's not nearly as valuable a skillset. That's why the Rams didn't want to extend him for big money and traded him for a 5th rounder. Roquan was a win-now move, Jones feels like Seattle taking a shot on a young player with upside.

And lets remember, Baker was also a guy Macdonald wanted. It's less about finding Macdonald's guys and more about finding the right guys. Hopefully Jones is one of them.

 

[Chukarhawk]

I don't see the Roquan parrellels. He was an all-pro and is one of the two best all around LBs in the NFL. Jones, on paper, is currently a run stuffer. That happens to be a position we need, but it's not nearly as valuable a skillset. That's why the Rams didn't want to extend him for big money and traded him for a 5th rounder. Roquan was a win-now move, Jones feels like Seattle taking a shot on a young player with upside.

And lets remember, Baker was also a guy Macdonald wanted. It's less about finding Macdonald's guys and more about finding the right guys. Hopefully Jones is one of them.

Not so much what Mac wanted as it was what he could get at the time.

 

[keasley45]

Dude is our own 'Afro-Samurai'.

 

[BASF]

An aspect not brought up as several have gone out of their way to trash Baker, is he may have asked to be traded. He or his wife or his kids may not have liked the Seattle area. They are from the midwest and may have wanted to be closer to family.

Also, I can not imagine that Schneider would not have talked to Wagner about bringing Jones IV to the Seahawks.

Very much looking forward to see how fast he can intigrate and improve the defense.

Another thing is someone brought up how Roquan was not playing as well now that Queen is gone. I am sure the Ravens fans don't want to admit that their defense is not playing as well since we hired Macdonald away from them. I have pointed out before, their defense knew where the play was going no matter the misdirection. That was Macdonald having his guys ready. It will happen for us. Just a matter of time.

 

[Maelstrom787]

I don't see the Roquan parrellels. He was an all-pro and is one of the two best all around LBs in the NFL. Jones, on paper, is currently a run stuffer. That happens to be a position we need, but it's not nearly as valuable a skillset. That's why the Rams didn't want to extend him for big money and traded him for a 5th rounder. Roquan was a win-now move, Jones feels like Seattle taking a shot on a young player with upside.

And lets remember, Baker was also a guy Macdonald wanted. It's less about finding Macdonald's guys and more about finding the right guys. Hopefully Jones is one of them.

The comparison is more about what they bring to the team, rather than how equal they are as players.

Ernest may not have the ceiling of Roquan, but what he does bring to the team is a true fit at MIKE.

Dodson wasn't that. Dodson is better as a weakside linebacker, and now he can play his preferred spot.

Ernest brings a high level of versatility, though. He isn't just a run stuffer. He can carry the deep hook in zone, he's quick to process what's happening in coverage, he's an adept blitzer, and he seems like a potential leader. He's a versatile linebacker and that along with moving Dodson to his better spot has the potential to raise the ceiling of this defense tremendously.

 

[Maelstrom787]

Tremendously underrated in coverage. Might be almost as good as Jordyn Brooks in that regard, and Jordyn had some FREAKY reps in coverage locking down seams.