NFL Rookie Minicamp audition results in Seahawks signing undrafted free agent who might start at the center of their defense.
Not too long ago, the Seattle Seahawks concluded their NFL Rookie Minicamp. Each of their eight NFL Draft selections had outstanding looks. Impressions of their new undrafted free agent acquisitions were positive. Whether the team would sign any of the players they invited to the rookie camp for a tryout was the only unanswered question going into the weekend. Indeed, they did! Additionally, the club could really use additional depth at one particular position.
General manager John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks formally signed Buddha Jones, a former defensive tackle from Troy, on Sunday, May 5. However, why is that such a particular need? The squad selected a defensive lineman in the first round, is that right? Indeed, Byron Murphy, DL Texas, was selected by the squad in the first round, and he already has a terrific look. He is not, however, as skilled at a certain position as Buddha Jones is with the Seahawks. Nor does anyone else on the roster.
Buddha Jones and Troy
To put too fine a point on defensive line tactics, Buddha Jones spent the majority of his snaps for Troy as true nose tackle. Over the previous two years, he would line up squarely over the center (or just inside the shoulder of offensive guards) on almost two thirds of his snaps, and he was quite effective in that particular spot.
He was frequently put in a “two-gap” role, which allowed him to light up run plays that were intended to go to either side of the center. Jones was able to completely destroy opposing offensive lines in the middle of their defenses by using his exceptional strength and technique to toss about opposing centers and guards. Because he was expected to anchor the entire defensive line, Jones wasn’t much of a pass rusher, but he was a force against the run. In his final 17 games, Jones missed just one tackle while halting runs for either positive or negative play each week. The Seahawks are the ideal team for a player like that.Buddha Jones’ compatibility with the Seahawks’ front line
Throughout the entire roster, the Seahawks lack a true nose tackle who can fill both gaps. Although he can play in the opposite “b-gap” between the guard and tackle, Jarran Reed is most effective when teamed with another interior lineman. If the Seahawks decide to go with an odd-front defensive line, Jonathan Hankins, who just signed this spring, can also play that position and might be most effective in it. But he’s already thirty-two years old, and during the past three seasons, he’s missed at least three games.
Given their lack of depth in his very unusual skill set, Buddha Jones may very well earn a job as the Seahawks’ primary odd-front nose tackle, or at the very least make the active squad as a rotational defensive lineman straight away.
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And you can watch the video below to see some Buddha Jones footage to get an idea of how he can one day anchor the Seahawks’ defensive line!
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