Top 3 biggest NFL Free Agency busts in 2023 season
2. Dre'Mont Jones, DL, Seattle Seahawks
Contract: 3 years, $51.53 million, $30M guaranteed
The Seattle Seahawks set out in the 2023 offseason to upgrade a problem area of their team from the 2022 season -- the defensive line. Based on how well Dre'Mont Jones played as a member of the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks seemed to be making an outstanding deal here in free agency.
Getting Jones for close to $17 million in average annual value seemed like a fair price to pay for someone the Seahawks expected to impact every play on the interior defensive line. They gave him $30 million in guarantees on top of that, so Jones obviously was the prized addition for Seattle in the 2023 offseason.
After the 2023 regular season, some Seahawks fans were wondering if the team would realistically be able to cut ties and get out of the contract with Jones and not cripple the salary cap.
No Dre’Mont Jones
— Dan Viens 🎙 (Seahawks Forever Podcast) (@SeahawksForever) December 10, 2023
$51 million rotational player. https://t.co/bgeKYbVzTv
Frustration with Jones boiled over throughout the course of the season despite him posting a career-best 12 QB hits. The Seahawks were so displeased with the way the defensive line was playing overall that they made a mid-season blockbuster deal for veteran Leonard Williams.
Needless to say, it wasn't a great first year in Seattle for Dre'Mont Jones even if the numbers say otherwise.