The Seattle Seahawks considerably restructured the defensive position this offseason, letting a number of gamers go both by way of free company or by releasing them outright. Within the case of defensive deal with Poona Ford, he caught round as an out there free agent by way of the NFL Draft, however Seattle clearly didn’t have a lot curiosity in re-signing him. Ford agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the AFC East champion Buffalo Payments, the place he joins one of many league’s greatest defenses and perennial contenders.
On the time of his signing, it was reported that Ford had turned down more cash elsewhere to go to Western New York. Apart from being acquainted with the realm—he has household in Buffalo—there’s a soccer part to his resolution. I don’t suppose anybody can be too stunned together with his reply.
“The scheme on protection is basically what made me come right here,” he mentioned (by way of The Buffalo Information).
Seattle has been working out of a 3-4 hybrid for a couple of seasons now, however in 2022 Ford’s snap rely was decreased and he was primarily enjoying out of place as an finish. Even Pete Carroll admitted as such on the finish of final season.
Pete Carroll says Seahawks overused Poona Ford on the defensive position. He likes Ford over the middle at nostril deal with. They performed him extra exterior as 3-technique and even 5-tech. “I believe we wore him down.”
Count on Ford again over the nostril, amongst different modifications to DL/run D in 2023
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) January 16, 2023
Effectively I assume Pete’s technically appropriate since he’ll be again in a 4-3 scheme in Buffalo, presumably as 1-tech.
“I’m selecting it up fairly good,” Ford mentioned in regards to the Payments defensive playbook. “I do know I’m going to have a possibility to play all three downs. That excites me, particularly the prospect to get some third-down reps.”
Ford signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Texas again in 2018, and by 2019 he was a full-time starter on Seattle’s defensive inside. He collected 7.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in his Seahawks profession.
Poona’s Buffalo teammates alongside the d-line embody Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, Greg Rousseau, Shaq Lawson, and the just lately signed Leonard Floyd. Loads of expertise on that roster, which additionally means Poona’s gonna actually be battling for enjoying time. Hopefully it really works out for him as a result of he was enjoyable to root for whereas in Seattle.
