Seattle Seahawks sign DE Jalan Gaines

The Seahawks' signing of Jalan Gaines earns a **C+ Contract Value Index (CVI)**, a middling verdict that reflects below-market salary paired with a depth-piece role in a win-now window. At $885K total, this is a league-minimum or near-minimum commitment — the kind of deal you use to fill roster spots without meaningful cap burden, which aligns perfectly with where the Seahawks are: a 14-3 NFC West top seed entering the stretch run with limited flexibility and no room for overpay. The calculus here is straightforward: for a defensive end on a veteran team with playoff ambitions, you're getting what you're paying for — a reserve or rotational contributor, not a starter or impact edge-rusher. The CVI grade reflects that the contract itself is sensible relative to the salary, but it carries no upside; Gaines is not underpaid in a way that creates long-term value, nor is he likely to outperform a near-minimum deal in the conventional sense. With the regular season less than 100 days away, this signing makes organizational sense as a low-risk depth move, though it does nothing to move the needle on Seattle's competitive window.