Tag: Branden Jackson

Branden Jackson could be cap casualty for Seahawks

Branden Jackson is under contract for $2.13 million, money the Seahawks could look to use elsewhere after making multiple additions at DE.

The Seattle Seahawks have a full 90-man roster and limited cap space remaining after recently finalizing contracts for Bruce Irvin, Carlos Hyde and Geno Smith.

However, that doesn’t mean they are done signing folks in free agency. And with plenty of talented players still available on the open market, the Seahawks could definitely find ways to shed some salary in order to make an addition or two before camp is set to begin in late July.

One way they could do so is by cutting veteran defensive end Branden Jackson. Jackson signed his restricted free agent tender back in April, bringing him back to the Seahawks and paying him $2.13 million in 2020.

While that’s not a huge some of money by any means, it would give the team slightly more wiggle room if they wanted to pursue a defensive tackle like Mike Daniels or Damon Harrison.

Jackson appeared in 15 games last year, recording 20 combined tackles, two passes defended and two sacks as a reserve five-tech. Seattle has yet to make a big signing to bolster their pass rush, but the additions of Irvin, Benson Mayowa and two draft picks: Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson, may be enough to push Jackson out of the rotation.

If Jackson cannot earn a spot over the newcomers, as well as returners like L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green, then Seattle will likely cut ties in order to use that cap space elsewhere.

[lawrence-related id=63688]

Seattle Seahawks finalize 4 signings ahead of 2020 NFL draft

The Seahawks finalized the signings of Bruce Irvin, Joey Hunt, Branden Jackson and Bryan Mone on Thursday, a few hours before the NFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks continued to make some of their previously announced signings official, reporting the signing of veteran Bruce Irvin and the re-signing of three players from last year’s squad: center Joey Hunt, defensive end Branden Jackson and defensive tackle Bryan Mone.

Irvin’s signing was initially reported in mid-March. The veteran pass rusher was with the Seahawks from 2012-2015 after the team made him their first pick in the 2012 NFL draft, ahead of Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson.

Irvin spent time with the Raiders, Falcons and Panthers after that, but will return to Seattle in a strongside linebacker role, while doing some pass rushing in applicable situations as well.

Hunt and Jackson were both restricted free agents who officially signed their tenders earlier this week. Hunt will compete at center, where he has been the backup since 2016 – even starting eight games last year in Justin Britt’s absence.

Jackson is a reserve defensive end who had two sacks last year and will look to make the team in a similar role again in 2020.

Mone was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, and played sparingly as an interior defensive tackle. He will compete for the snaps vacated by Al Woods this offseason.

The NFL draft will kick off at 5:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, April 23, and the Seahawks presently own one pick, No. 27 overall, in the first round.

[lawrence-related id=59622]

Seahawks defensive end Branden Jackson officially signs RFA tender

Jackson will be back to compete for snaps at defensive end after appearing in a career-high 15 games last year for the Seahawks.

View this post on Instagram

Run It back #seattleseahawks #12s

A post shared by Branden Jackson (@b9jack) on

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Branden Jackson joined teammates Joey Hunt, Jacob Hollister and David Moore in signing his restricted free agent tender on Tuesday, bringing him back into the mix for the 2020 campaign.

Jackson will make $2.13 million in 2020, assuming he makes the team, and will become an unrestricted free agent after the season unless he works out another deal with Seattle beforehand.

Jackson appeared in a career-high 15 games last year, recording 20 combined tackles, two passes defended and two sacks as a reserve defensive end. He will compete with L.J. Collier, Rasheem Green and Nazair Jones, as well as newcomers Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, for snaps as a defensive end in Seattle’s 4-3 base front.

The Seahawks struggled to rush the passer last year, and while Jackson is probably not an option to start in 2020, he does give the team added depth at perhaps their most important position of need as they look to stay competitive in the crowded NFC West.

[lawrence-related id=59419]

Will Seahawks defensive lineman Nazair Jones reappear in 2020?

Nazair Jones saw his playing time dip from 2017 to 2018, and then he missed all of 2019 with a knee injury. What can we expect in 2020?

The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2019 season among the worst pass rushing teams in the NFL, an issue that impacted them all year long despite an 11-5 record.

While the team added a pair of veterans in Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, they also lost Quinton Jefferson to free agency, and have yet to pull the trigger on any of the big name pass rushers on the market, including Jadeveon Clowney, Matthew Judon, Everson Griffen and Yannick Ngakoue.

The draft is almost certainly an avenue the Seahawks will explore to improve the team’s pass rush, but they also have some in-house options that could step up and contribute meaningful snaps in 2020 – including 2017 third round pick Nazair Jones.

Jones has steadily declined since his strong debut in 2017, which saw him appear in 11 games, making two starts, while recording 19 combined tackles, two sacks and an interception. He only appeared in nine games in 2018, making just seven combined tackles, and then missed the entire 2019 season with a knee injury.

Prior to going on the shelf, Jones was reportedly transitioning from three-tech to five-tech, a move that should give him added flexibility for a Seahawks defense that could use it. It also means he probably wasn’t getting the job done on the interior, which isn’t a great sign.

Jones will have to compete with Jarran Reed, Poona Ford, Bryan Mone and Demarcus Christmas for a job on the inside, and the Seahawks are almost certainly going to add to that mix via free agency and/or the NFL draft.

The five-tech spot is currently occupied by some combination of Benson Mayowa, Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier, Branden Jackson and Bruce Irvin – with more additions likely to come there as well.

Jones doesn’t have a clear path to a roster spot at the moment, but his 2017 performance was good enough to earn him another chance this summer – and if he looks healthy and displays some of that aggression and instinct we saw from him back then, he could be a dark horse candidate for rotational snaps in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=59297]

Seahawks tender contracts to Joey Hunt and Branden Jackson

The Seattle Seahawks have extended tenders to four of their five restricted free agents after offering Joey Hunt and Branden Jackson.

The Seattle Seahawks have now tendered contracts to four of their five restricted free agents, with ESPN’s Field Yates reporting that center Joey Hunt and defensive end Branden Jackson both received tenders.

Hunt and Jackson join tight end Jacob Hollister and wide receiver David Moore among Seattle players to receive tenders on Monday.

Hunt was a sixth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. After spending three years as a backup/special teamer, Hunt ended up starting eight games down the stretch for Seattle last year in place of Justin Britt, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

Britt is a potential cap casualty, and inking Hunt to a deal gives the team an option to start at center if the team decides to move away from Britt to save some money.

Jackson appeared in a career-high 15 games last year, recording 20 combined tackles, two passes defended and two sacks as a reserve defensive end.

The Seahawks struggled to rush the passer last year, and while Jackson is not an option to start next year he does give the team added depth at perhaps the most important position of need heading into 2020.

[lawrence-related id=57691]

Should the Seahawks re-sign restricted free agent Branden Jackson?

The Seattle Seahawks need to revamp their pass rush attack in 2020. Does that leave room for restricted free agent Branden Jackson?

In addition to 19 unrestricted free agents from last year’s squad, the Seattle Seahawks also have five restricted free agents who they will have to make decisions on heading into the 2020 season.

Among them is defensive end Branden Jackson, who is coming off a career year and plays a position of need for the Seahawks, especially if they are unable to retain one or all of Jadeveon Clowney, Jarran Reed and Quinton Jefferson.

Jackson made the roster right out of camp last year and appeared in 15 games, racking up 20 combined tackles, three quarterback hits, two sacks and two passes defended, all career highs in his fourth NFL campaign.

An undrafted free agent who originally signed with Oakland in 2016, Jackson pinballed between Seattle’s roster and practice squad before last year. However, his performance in 2019 should merit some consideration on the free agent market.

He’s unlikely to get any big offers though, and considering Seattle’s lack of pass rush depth and Jackson’s familiarity with the defense, he seems like a prime candidate to return on a small one-year deal in order to compete for a job out of training camp.

[vertical-gallery id=55039]

A look at the 5 Seattle Seahawks who are restricted free agents

The Seattle Seahawks have five restricted free agents they’ll need to make decisions on in the coming weeks.

The Seattle Seahawks are turning their attention toward what should be another busy offseason.

With 19 unrestricted free agents to make decisions on, including Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed, Seattle will need to budget accordingly if they want to keep some key pieces around.

In addition to the 19 unrestricted guys, the Seahawks also have five restricted free agents to take care of.

A restricted free agent operates similar to a normal free agent, in the sense that they can pursue opportunities with other teams. However, if a different team signs them, Seattle will have five days to match the offer and retain the player.

For the Seahawks, four of their five restricted free agents were either starters or relatively important reserves last season, although most of them project to be depth next year.

It’s likely the Seahawks will want most of these guys back. Still, other teams could certainly make an offer that prices them out.

If that ends up being the case, Seattle should recoup a draft pick for the lost player.

Here is a look at each of the Seahawks restricted free agents, their performance last year, and their potential role in 2020.

[vertical-gallery id=55039]