Carlos Dunlap arriving tonight, Seahawks will put him in pass-rush role he loves most
The Seahawks feel they’ve snared the “classic” edge rusher they desperately needed.
Coach Pete Carroll made it official following Wednesday’s practice: Seattle acquired two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Carlos Dunlap in a trade from Cincinnati earlier in the day to play the “Leo,” weakside defensive end and fill the 5-1 team’s most pressing issue, the potentially fatal flaw to their postseason and Super Bowl hopes.
“In an area we’ve been talking about for a long time...this happened in really rapid fashion,” Carroll said.
“Like I tell you, (general manager) John (Schneider) is in on everything he can possibly know about, and when there was an opportunity there he jumped on it.
“We are always looking. There are other guys who were out there that we’ve been looking at, as well, in all spots...
“This is one that fit exactly what we needed.”
Since becoming a starter with Cincinnati in 2013, Carlos Dunlap hasn’t had fewer than 7 1/2 sacks in a season.
The Seahawks’ sack co-leaders this season, Benson Mayowa and Jamal Adams, have two each. Last year’s team leader was Rasheem Green, with four sacks.
Dunlap’s first public words about coming to Seattle: He’s “hungry.”
“Carlos has been a very, very consistent player for a long time,” Carroll said of the 31-year-old veteran of 11 seasons, all with Cincinnati. “He’s always been fast, always been athletic. He still moves his feet well, gets off the rock and knows exactly how to play the spot we want to play him in.
“Really was excited to share that with him. He didn’t know how we were going to play him.
“That was good for him to hear.”
It’s going to be at “Leo” end in Carroll’s 4-3 scheme. That’s what Cliff Avril did so exquisitely years ago, what rookie second-round draft choice Darrell Taylor was supposed to be doing but he’s been on injured lists all spring, summer and fall.
It’s also the position 29-year-old end Benson Mayowa has been playing too much this season, 90% of snaps in one game last month, 75% Sunday night in Seattle’s overtime, marathon loss at Arizona.
Dunlap was due to land at SeaTac Airport Wednesday night, and will begin a six-day protocol for COVID-19 testing Thursday. NFL rules for this coronavirus season state he must pass seven tests over six consecutive days, two on the final day, before he can enter the Seahawks’ facility for the first time and practice with his new team.
“He’ll be ready to come out and play next week, and practice with us and all that,” Carroll said.
So expect Dunlap to make his Seattle debut Nov. 8 when the team plays at AFC East-leading Buffalo (5-2).
The Seahawks host NFC West rival San Francisco (4-3) on Sunday.
“He’s an every-down player. But we will try to keep him as fresh as possible,” Carroll said. “It will really maintain the rotation. It will really help Benson. A lot. And (rookie fifth-round pick) Alton Robinson, too. Those guys will all continue to rotate.
“But it’s going to help us a lot, just to keep us fresh. We know if we can keep Benson fresh, from too many reps, he can really be effective for us. Hopefully that can happen for us from this point forward.”
Mayowa and safety Jamal Adams co-lead the Seahawks with two sacks. That’s even though Adams hasn’t played in a month because of a strained groin.
Dunlap is the Bengals’ career sack leader with 82-1/2 in his 11 seasons.
He has one sack this season. He’s been in a rift with the Bengals, who reduced him to more of a situational pass rusher on third downs this month. He had been a starter for them for seven consecutive seasons, and he didn’t take the demotion quietly. The Bengals told him to stay home from practice this week while they worked out trading him.
He had 46 sacks from 2015-19, including 13-1/2 in 2015. That was the first of his consecutive Pro Bowl seasons with the Bengals.
Seattle’s defense is last in the league in yards allowed and passing yards allowed. The Seahawks have surrendered more yards through six games than any team in NFL history. Their pass rush has just nine sacks — seven by defensive linemen — in six games.
They are on pace to have 24 sacks this season, four fewer than when they were next to last in the league in sacks last season.
No wonder Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. was smiling about Dunlap late Wednesday afternoon.
“We’ve watched him from afar for years,” Norton said.
“There’s no question he can step in and help us. ...Can’t WAIT to get him here.
“We are in an urgent situation right now. We need as much pass rush as we can get right now.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 5:15 PM.
