One of the bigger concerns on the Seattle Seahawks‘ initial 53-man roster was the lack of depth at inside linebacker behind starters Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight. General manager John Schneider understandably went light at the position, given the lack of talent. Drake Thomas was the only reserve linebacker on the first 53-man iteration.
Naturally, Schneider continued looking around for potential upgrades. Well, The Seahawks found their fourth linebacker, and it’s an experienced one they needed. Veteran Chazz Surratt was signed following his release from the San Francisco 49ers.
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Surratt was a vested veteran, having four accrued NFL campaigns under his belt. That means he wasn’t subject to the waiver claims process, and could sign with a team of his choosing right away. Surratt had “multiple offers,” according to Mike Garafolo, but chose the Seahawks.
A 2021 third-round selection of the Minnesota Vikings, Surratt has bounced around the league a bit. After disappointing in Minnesota as a rookie, he joined the New York Jets for the previous three seasons (2022-24). Surratt signed with the 49ers earlier this offseason, but was released at final cuts.
Surratt earned a career-high 137 defensive snaps for the Jets last year. He earned an overall defensive grade of 72.7 from Pro Football Focus. Surratt’s addition made the Seahawks better at off-ball linebacker.
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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Chazz Surratt is depth LB Seahawks needed