Seahawks begin rebuild of defensive front in big 3-year deal with Denver’s Dre’Mont Jones

Geno Smith giving flexibility to the Seahawks’ finances is already helping their defense.

Immensely.

Seattle and 26-year-old defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $51.5 million on the first day of NFL free agency. That’s per NFL Network’s James Palmer Monday night.

Jones had been considered one of the league’s best young defensive linemen, and one of the best available in free agency this month.

He confirmed he was a Seahawk early Monday evening, posting on his social-media account online.

“I’m a (new) Hawk Let’s Go!!” Jones posted on Twitter.

The Seahawks are expected to announce Jones’ signing Wednesday. That’s the first day teams can officially announce free-agent deals with the start of the new league year. Monday was the first day free agents and their representatives could speak to teams about new contract, per NFL rules.

Jones’ deal breaks down to a possible total of $51.53 million, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported. Jones is to earn $23.5 million in the first year, and $35.02 million over the next two years.

That’s big bucks for the Seahawks. They usually stay on the sidelines during the first wave of free agency and wait to sign secondary free agents for shorter, cheaper deals.

More than $17 million per year on average is not cheap. The two highest salary-cap charges scheduled on the 2023 Seahawks are safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, both at $18.1 million.

Smith’s cap number on a $1.2 million salary for this year is $10.1 million.

That’s why Seattle general manager John Schneider and contract executive Matt Thomas can make the deal like the one they just struck with Jones.

Jones has been one of the league’s more productive inside defensive linemen the last three seasons. He’s played four years for Denver at tackle and end in the Broncos’ 3-4 defense. He’s been in a scheme similar in style to the one the Seahawks installed last season for the first time.

Denver chose not to re-sign Jones or use a franchise tag that would have a salary of $19 million guaranteed for 2023. His rookie contract ended with Denver’s 2022 season. He missed the final four games of last season with a hip injury in December. He did not need surgery for it.

Earlier Monday, Seattle released former Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris after one season with the team. That saved $8.9 million against this year’s salary cap. The Seahawks turned that additional space plus what Smith afforded them in the Pro Bowl quarterback’s three-year, $75 million deal with added incentives last week into signing Jones.

Jones is six years younger than the departing Harris.

Also Monday, now-former Seahawks starting inside linebacker Cody Barton agreed to sign with the Washington Commanders. Seattle let his rookie contract expire after his first season as a full-time starter.

Rebuilding the defensive front seven and run defense has been the first two offseason priorities for the Seahawks after re-signing Smith.

Jones’ recent play suggests an improvement over Seattle’s defense that subverted much of what Smith and the offense did last season.

He has had at least 5 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for losses each of the last three seasons. That coincided with him moving from defensive tackle as a rookie from Ohio State in 2019 to end. Last season Jones tied his career highs with 6 1/2 sacks and nine tackles for losses, despite playing in only 13 of 17 games.

The Seahawks’ deal with Jones was a popular move, in Seattle’s locker room and nationally.

On his Twitter account online, wide receiver Tyler Lockett went 25 exclamation points over having Jones as his newest teammate.

“Let’s go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Lockett posted.

“I TOLD YALL!” Diggs, the Seahawks’ Pro Bowl safety, posted on Twitter about Jones’ agreement.

Former NFL veteran defensive back Matt Bowen, now an ESPN analyst, wrote online Monday that Jones was No. 10 on his list of the top 100 NFL free agents available this spring.

“Ascending player,” Bowen wrote. “Interior/edge flex. Pass rush production at DT. You can see the disruptive ability on the tape.”

Yes, when Smith said Thursday, “I believe in team” — after he signed his incentive-filled deal that afforded Seattle salary-cap space to rebuild the faulty defense and thus build a championship team around him — this is the kind of signing he and the Seahawks had in mind.