According to Brady Henderson, the Titans are trading LB Ernest Jones to the Seahawks for LB Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick.
It’s a fascinating deal for both sides. Tennessee just acquired Jones before the start of the season in a deal with the Rams but he was in a contract year and the Titans’ season is going nowhere.
Linebacker play has been a big issue for the Seahawks to start the season, and Baker hasn’t had the impact Seattle hoped since signing him this offseason.
A fourth-round pick is a ton to give up for a linebacker but Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald puts a big premium on the position compared to his peers. During his first year as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore, the Ravens traded a second-round pick for LB Roquan Smith before the midseason deadline.
Baker, 27, is a former third-round pick of the Dolphins out of Ohio State back in 2018. He was in the final year of his four-year, $3,809,200 contract and set to make a base salary of $2,433,000 for the 2021 season when he signed a three-year, $39 million extension with Miami.
He earned a base salary of $8,410,000 in 2023 and was set to earn $10,768,000 in 2024 before being released. The Seahawks signed Baker to a contract this past March.
In 2024, Baker has appeared in five games for the Seahawks and recorded 30 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one recovery and two pass deflections. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the No. 46 linebacker out of 83 qualifying players.
Jones, 24, was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. He was entering the final year of a four-year rookie deal worth $4,785,850 million with an $840,618 million signing bonus when the Rams traded him to the Titans coming out of the preseason.
He’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
In 2024, Jones has appeared in six games for the Titans and recorded 44 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two pass deflections. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the No. 47 linebacker out of 83 qualifying players.
We’ll have him included in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.
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