Even after using a late first-round pick on defensive end L.J. Collier, the Seahawks needed additional help on the edge considering they shipped their best pass rusher, Frank Clark, to Kansas City in a blockbuster offseason trade. So it should come as no real surprise to hear the Seahawks have landed the best unsigned edge rusher as phase two of free agency kicks off this week.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks have signed former Lions pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah to a one-year deal after emerging as the frontrunners in the Ansah sweepstakes earlier on Wednesday.
The #Seahawks are signing former #Lions franchise tagged pass-rusher Ziggy Ansah to a 1-year deal, source said. A key, late addition in free agency.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 9, 2019
Ansah was one of the best remaining players available in free agency, but he does come with a decent amount of risk given his injury history. From 2013-17, Ansah racked up 44 sacks. He broke out in a big way with 14.5 sacks in 2015. And in what was a contract season in 2017, Ansah notched another double-digit sack total with 12. As a result, the Lions franchise tagged him.
Ansah was only healthy enough to play in seven games with two starts last season, but he did play well during his limited snaps.
EDGE Ezekiel Ansah was only able to play 146 snaps in 2018, fewest of his career, but earned a 74.6 pass-rush grade (23rd among EDGE; min 100 snaps)
— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) May 8, 2019
And a pass-rush productivity of 11.9 (1st among EDGE) with 20 pressures on just 101 pass-rush snaps https://t.co/qGge5GWzK5
Clearly, the upside is there. But he has battled shoulder and knee problems. He'll also turn 30 later this month. That makes him a bit of a risk, which is why he went unsigned until Wednesday night. According to Rapoport, Ansah should be cleared to play by mid-August as he continues to rehab his shoulder.
There's a clear and obvious fit in Seattle. The Seahawks parted ways with Clark, who was responsible for 13 of their 43 sacks a season ago. Collier could make an impact, but there's no way to know for certain how he'll fare during his first professional season. As it stands, Jarran Reed is the Seahawks' only reliable source of sacks after a 10.5-sack season.
The timing also makes sense. Signing him now doesn't impact the compensatory pick formula, which is why phase two of free agency is only just beginning. The Patriots got the party started by signing offensive tackle Jared Veldheer on Tuesday. The Seahawks got in on the action on Wednesday night by inking Ansah to a one-year deal. In the coming days, look for free agents like Ndamukong Suh and Eric Berry to find their new homes.
With Ansah now off the market, the best remaining edge rusher for teams in need of pass-rushing help might be Muhammad Wilkerson.
