Providing defensive assurance was objective No. 1 for the Seattle Seahawks heading into free agency. 

So, it was no surprise when the Seahawks went out and signed former Denver Broncos defensive lineman Dre'mont Jones to a three-year contract worth $51 million. Initially, the contract price point looked steep, but in the following days, it was revealed that it only features a guarantee of $23 million. 

Though Jones' numbers haven't jumped off the page in his career, at 26, the Seahawks are betting that his best years are yet to come. And given his recent comments on Thursday, Jones believes so as well. 

“I’m here to be a solution, not a problem," Jones said. "All my life I’ve been an underdog in a way, always kind of counted out in a way. So that’s what motivates me, that’s what drives me… Every play, every game, I take it very seriously.”

As part of the solution, Jones, at minimum, brings assurance on a defensive line that wasn't really adept at creating pressure in the 2022 NFL season. 

In 56 games played, Jones has logged 124 total tackles, 22 sacks, six, passes defended, and one interception.

If Seattle can get that same production, the early signing of Jones will only be validated. 

Jones apparently agrees. His rationale for joining the Seahawks came down to being part of the solution, but also his fit alongside Pete Carroll and the rest of the defense. 

“It seems like the best fit for me,” Jones said via the Seahawks website on Thursday. “They have a promising team, a lot of good pieces offensively and defensively. It just seems like the right place to make a new start, have a new beginning.”

New beginnings or not, what is clear is that Jones will be a difference-maker for Seattle's defense in 2023.