Report: Seahawks agree to terms with defensive end Dion Jordan
SEATTLE – The Seahawks earlier this year signed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, left tackle Luke Joeckel.
Now they have apparently added the No. 3 overall pick in that draft, defensive end Dion Jordan, who has agreed to terms to sign with the Seahawks, according to a report Tuesday morning from Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Jordan hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2014 and was waived by the Dolphins in March after a troubled career in Miami that included being suspended for all of the 2015 season for a third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy and then missing last season with a knee injury.
Jordan, who played at Oregon, played in just 26 games for Miami with 46 tackles and three sacks in those two seasons.
“For where he was selected, it’s not a move that has worked out,” Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations told reporters at the NFL league meetings last month in Arizona. “That’s pretty obvious.”
The Seahawks are undoubtedly signing Jordan to a low-risk deal, likely for one year, in an attempt to revive Jordan’s career. And the Seahawks could be envisioning Jordan as a possible fit at strongside linebacker – the Dolphins were planning to play him at outside linebacker in their 4-3 defense last season had Jordan been healthy.
Seattle has an uncertain strongside linebacker situation at the moment with last year’s starter, Mike Morgan, remaining unsigned. Seattle signed three linebackers in free agency, and Pete Carroll said at the NFL league meetings that two – Michael Wilhoite and Terence Garvin – could each compete at SLB. Seattle could see Jordan as potentially able to play SLB in early downs and then rush in passing downs, a role similar to that of Bruce Irvin when he was with the Seahawks.
Jordan is represented by Doug Hendrickson, who also represents Michael Bennett and Marshawn Lynch, among others. As Pelissero noted last May, Jordan also has been working out in the Bay Area with Tareq Azim, who also has trained Lynch and is close with Seattle offensive line coach Tom Cable.
Pelissero reported that Jordan passed a physical with the Seahawks.
Last December, the Dolphins had deemed Jordan as unable yet to play after having surgery to repair a knee issue he suffered while away from the Dolphins and that the team had declared as “news to us.”
“His body’s not ready to go,” Miami coach Adam Gase told reporters in December. “His game is explosion off the ball, being able to redirect, that burst that you want a guy that plays his position have, and it’s not all the way back. That’s just what it is.”
While the Seahawks have just one player left from their 11-man 2013 draft class – fifth-rounder Luke Willson – they have now signed four of the top 61 overall picks in that class since March – Joeckel, Jordan, linebacker Arthur Brown (56) and running back Eddie Lacy (61).