Seahawks agree to sign veteran Johnathan Hankins, per new coach’s love for big D-tackles
Some of the biggest of what Mike Macdonald did in Baltimore is already transferring to Seattle.
Truly, the BIGGEST.
The Seahawks are expected to announce soon they have agreed to a free-agent contract with tackle Johnathan Hankins for the interior of their needy defensive line. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network first reported that Tuesday afternoon.
That was hours after Hankins, who turns 32 next week, visited Seahawks headquarters. He played the last 1-1/2 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
At 320 pounds, Hankins becomes the largest defensive player with NFL game experience on Seattle’s roster. He’s more like Al Woods, the former captain and huge nose tackle the Seahawks had in 2019 and again in 2021 and ‘22 than the relatively lighter tackles the team had in the middle of its defensive line last season.
The Seahawks’ former regime led by since-fired coach Pete Carroll let Woods leave last year. He signed with the New York Jets before the 2023 season.
Hankins had signed one-year contracts in each of the last four offseasons. His last three deals have been slightly above the league’s veteran minimum, at $1.3 million per season.
That included last year with Dallas. He started all 14 games he played in last season for the Cowboys and their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the former Seahawks’ Super Bowl defensive coordinator.
Seattle reportedly out-bid Dallas to sign Hankins for 2024.
The veteran run-stopping nose tackle has played for the Giants, Colts, Raiders and Cowboys since New York drafted him in the second round out of Ohio State in 2013.
The Seahawks hired Macdonald in January to replace Carroll. That made the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator the NFL’s youngest head coach. Last season, Macdonald featured huge, beefy tackles to take up space and opposing blockers in the middle of his Ravens defense. Baltimore led the NFL in sacks, turnovers and fewest points allowed in 2023.
Macdonald started 345-pound Michael Pierce at nose tackle and 305-pound Broderick Washington next to him on the Ravens’ defensive line last season. Travis Jones, 327 pounds, backed up Pierce.
Baltimore’s Patrick Queen became a Pro Bowl inside linebacker last year behind all that beef swallowing up blockers in front of him.
Seattle was 30th in total defense and 31st defending the run in the 32-team NFL last season. That’s why the Seahawks hired Macdonald.
Hankins arrives in Seattle to play in 2024 with 10th-year veteran Jarran Reed (306 pounds) and inside re-signed Leonard Williams (300) and Dre’Mont Jones (281) on the the Seahawks’ defensive line.
Behind Reed, Seattle had Cameron Young (304 pounds) at nose tackle last season.
Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider are seeking to change the Seahawks’ defensive fortunes.
Hankins is Schneider’s latest short-term, low-risk signing in free agency this month.
In the last week the Seahawks have signed two new starting inside linebackers, Jerome Baker from Miami (one year, $7 million) and Tyrel Dodson from Buffalo.
New safeties
Seattle also signed former Jacksonville starter Rayshawn Jenkins to a two-year, $12 million contract with $6.26 million guaranteed for this season to start with 2023 Pro Bowl selection Julian Love as the team’s new safeties for 2024.
On Tuesday, four-year NFL veteran safety K’Von Wallace announced online he was joining the Seahawks. It’s a one-year contract for the former Philadelphia Eagles’ fourth-round pick in 2020, out of Clemson. He played last season for Arizona and Tennessee. He made 12 starts last season,and has started 19 games in his four-year career.
The 26-year-old Wallace (5-11, 205) has played both strong and free safety in the NFL.
The Seahawks released expensive Pro Bowl veteran safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs this month to save money prior to the start of free agency.
The team’s biggest expenditure this offseason has been to bring Wiliams back onto the defensive line as outside tackle/end. That was a three-year deal worth up to $64.5 million to keep Williams, who turns 30 this year, away from free agency this month.
New guard
On Monday, the Seahawks addressed their need on the interior of their offensive line. They signed former Los Angeles Rams seventh-round pick and backup guard Tremayne Anchrum to a free-agent contract.
Anchrum, 25, will compete for the starting guard jobs. Recent Seahawks left guard Damien Lewis signed with Carolina this month in free agency. Phil Haynes, Seattle’s right guard last season, remains unsigned.
This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 4:15 PM.
