Seahawks-Titans trade: Seattle is trading Jerome Baker to Tennessee for Ernest Jones IV, according to report

The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans agreed to a linebacker swap ahead of Week 8 of the 2024 NFL regular season. According to NFL Media, Seattle is sending linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to Tennessee in exchange for linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

A four-year veteran, Jones has 44 tackles in six games. He is coming off a 2023 season in which he set career highs with 145 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and six pass breakups. Jones joins a Seahawks team that is currently 4-3 and in first place in the NFC West division standings.

Baker, who was in the middle of his first season with Seattle, spent his first six seasons in Miami. Baker, also a former third-round pick, is a seven-year veteran and recorded 23.5 sacks, 617 tackles, five interceptions and 23 pass breakups in 99 regular-season games. This season, Baker has recorded 30 tackles and one sack.

Baker will join a Titans team that has gone on offense with the Nov. 5 trade deadline looming. Earlier in the day the Titans dealt former All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the defensive-minded, two-defensive Kansas City Chiefs. At 1-5, the Titans were one of several teams expected to be active before the league's trade deadline.

So who won the trade? Here are our instant notes for the transaction.

Seahawks: A-

As mentioned above, the Seahawks are looking down on the 49ers, Cardinals and Rams in the division standings, and it's clear they want to stay in that position after sending Baker and a fourth-round pick to Nashville in exchange for Jones, a rising player Who should improve Seattle's defense?

The Seahawks' offense has started strong under first-year coach Mike Macdonald. But the defense wasn't that good, especially against the run. Seattle clearly wasn't happy with its defense and decided to make an aggressive move now before things get hot again before the Nov. 5 deadline.

However, giving up a fourth-round pick is a bit of a price to pay, which is why the Seahawks didn't receive an “A” for this transaction. And the Seahawks clearly expect Jones to do more for them than he did for the Titans this season.

Titans: B

By trading Jones and Hopkins, the Titans are sending a clear message that they are actively trying to improve their future without completely giving up on the possibility of being a competitive team for the rest of this season. By trading Hopkins, the Titans freed up cap space and secured a future mid-round draft pick. The Jones trade gave them another future mid-round pick in addition to getting them a productive linebacker in Baker, who like Jones is also still in his prime.

He may be the inferior player, but Baker is still a solid defender who will be a nice addition to the Titans defense. The problem here, however, is that the Titans were willing to part ways with the 24-year-old Jones, who was only halfway through his first season with the team. But it appears the Titans are OK with that risk while calling the Jones experience a disappointment.

It's safe to say that, aside from the Seahawks' division opponents, everyone else in the league is happier with this deal than the one that sent Hopkins to the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.