Not long after he re-signed with the Seahawks, linebacker Ernest Jones IV was finally able to take a deep breath and, with a clear head, focus on what by all accounts should be a very bright future.
At this time a year ago, Jones and his wife were awaiting the birth of their son while, he thought, preparing for his fourth season with the Rams. But not long after they welcomed Ernest Jones V to the world, the Jones family, now three, had to move across the country after he was unexpectedly traded to the Titans. Then, with Tennessee struggling and looking to retool its roster with an eye on the future, Jones was traded again midway through the season, this time to Seattle.
Another cross country move with a young son, more uncertainty, more stress.
But it didn't take long for Jones to feel at home with the Seahawks as both he and the defense thrived in the second half of last season, then in March the last bit of uncertainty was erased when Jones signed a multi-year contract with the Seahawks just before the start of free agency.
"It was so stressful," Jones said Thursday after the Seahawks' final practice of organized team activities. "I'll tell you this, maybe around April, me and my wife finally—we were laying down and we looked at each other and we're like, 'Dang, I finally feel clear headed.' With everything that was going on, we couldn't focus on our situation, we just had to attack what was next. Having this time off to really truly think about and ponder on what happened, it's a blessing to be where I am now. But like I said earlier, I'm more focused on now playing my best football and going out here and being the best linebacker that this team has seen."
After so much change and uncertainty over the past year, Jones is more than happy to be spending his summer taking part in optional offseason workouts, and in fact he is just one of many proven veterans showing up for voluntary part of the offseason workout program. While not every player has taken part in every day of workouts and OTAs, everyone has been around at some point, including injured players who are either unable to participate in on-field work or are limited in what they can do.
"I think for this team, we're bought into the goal and the mission, and the goal is to put another banner up in here," Jones said, nodding towards the large banner in the team's indoor practice facility celebrating the Seahawks' 2013 team that won Super Bowl XLVIII. "I think everyone believes in that and we're going to show up to work and do what we have to do to make sure we get it done."