The Seattle Seahawks are set to bring back former 2012 first-round pick Bruce Irvin, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Irvin, 32, is coming off the most productive pass rushing season of his career. Irvin had 8.5 sacks last season for the Carolina Panthers in his only year with the team. Those 8.5 sacks came in just 13 games played as well and including a sack of Russell Wilson in the meeting between the Panthers and Seahawks in Charlotte in November.
Irvin confirmed the agreement via his Twitter account.
Irvin played his first four seasons with Seattle after being the 15th overall pick in the team's cornerstone 2012 draft class. After playing his rookie season at defensive end, the Seahawks used him as a strong-side linebacker on early downs before joining their pass rushing packages in passing situations. Irvin compiled 22 sacks during his four years in Seattle and recorded three interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Irvin has managed at least 5.5 sacks in every season of his career except his second year in Seattle when he and the team were adapting to his move to linebacker. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Oakland Raiders before being released and finished the 2018 season with the Atlanta Falcons under former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. He then spent last year with the Panthers.
Irvin's addition is a big boost for a team looking to recharge its pass rush. Irvin had more sacks last season than any member of the 2019 Seahawks. Irvin seemed to indicate a desire to return to Seattle via his Twitter account several times since the end of the season and the two sides have managed to turn that idea of a reunion into a reality.
Photo Credit: CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 15: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson #3 is sacked by Carolina Panthers linebacker Bruce Irvin #55 in the first half at Bank of America Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The Seahawks are also set to add former New York Jets tackle Brandon Shell on a two-year deal worth $11 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Shell, a fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2016 out of South Carolina, appeared in 49 games with 40 starts for New York over the last four seasons. Shell has played at right guard and tight end as well, but he's been the Jets' starting right tackle for most of the last three seasons.
Shell would presumably compete for that same role with the Seahawks as his addition likely closes the door on a return for former first-round pick Germain Ifedi. Meanwhile, George Fant agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with the Jets on Monday. Shell's agreement with Seattle brings his value in at just over half what Fant got from the Jets.
Shell could see competition from Jamarco Jones for the the right tackle job vacated by the departures of Fant and Ifedi. However, Jones will also likely factor into the mix, along with Phil Haynes, at the vacant left guard spot left open by Mike Iupati's free agency.
Additionally, the Seahawks are adding former Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, via multiple reports.
The deal is for one year and worth up to $3.3 million, per Jordan Schultz.
Ogbuehi missed all by five games during his rookie season in 2015 after being selected in the first round by the Bengals. He would go on to start 25 of 28 games over the next two seasons for Cincinnati before losing his starting job in 2018. Ogbuehi moved on to Jacksonville last season where he appeared in 14 games as a reserve. He hasn't started a game since 2017.
Ogbuehi likely slots in as a reserve swing tackle option and could potentially be deployed in the jumbo tight end role lost by Fant's departure to the New York Jets.
Notes:
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports the Seahawks have given permission to safety Tedric Thompson to seek a trade.
Thompson lost his starting job following the addition of Quandre Diggs in trade last season and no longer factored into Seattle's future. The former fourth-round pick never managed to become the play-maker in the NFL that he was at Colorado. A few key mistakes last year misplaying deep passes helped sour the feelings against Thompson.
Thompson qualified for a performance escalator in his contract that bumped up his salary over $2 million. However, that's non-guaranteed and would go away with a trade or release.
Photo Credit: CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 28: Leonard Floyd #94 of the Chicago Bears rushes against Brandon Shell #72 of the New York Jets at Soldier Field on October 28, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Jets 24-10. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)