Predicting the Seahawks sign Nick Perry and Ziggy Ansah

The Seahawks need about 348 pass rushers for 2019. They will sign Ziggy Ansah and Nick Perry for help and here is when and how much.

When the Seahawks traded Frank Clark, they were left with no proven edge rushers. For a team that wants to make the playoffs, possibly even make a deep run in the postseason, trading their excellent defensive end was a risk. Seattle did draft L.J. Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he might be great. But Seattle needs a lot more than relying on a rookie edge rusher.

Ziggy Ansah

This week Seattle has entertained Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah and what basically amounts to a recruiting visit by NFL standards. Ansah is dealing with a shoulder issue, though, and has had a history of injury issues so signing him would be a risk. Seattle, though, will sign Ansah, I believe. It won’t be until after May 7th, however.

Waiting until after May 7th to sign Ansah means the Seahawks won’t lose a compensatory pick in 2020. Seattle currently is in line for four such picks, projected for the one each in rounds three, four, six and seven. According to the NFL compensatory pick formula, because Ansah is a free agent and not released by his former team, the Detroit Lions, he would take away one of these compensatory choices if signed by Seattle before May 7th. The NFL is a weird world financially.

Ansah could choose to sign with a team that cares less than the Seahawks do about compensatory picks and sign with a team before May 7th. But I don’t think he will. I believe when he visited Seattle Ansah’s agent and John Schneider reached an understanding that Seattle will give Ansah good money but not until after May 7th. Ansah will be a Seahawk.

How much and when?: I think Seattle will make a deal for Ansah for three years at $11 million per season. This won’t include a ton of guaranteed money, though, saving Seattle some financial issues should Ansah continue getting injured. His signing will be announced within a few days after May 7th.

Nick Perry

Perry won’t be the same kind of splash signing as Ansah. Not that Perry can’t contribute. Ansah might be great or a complete bust. Perry doesn’t have the same kind of upside as Ansah. But Perry does have the same kind of history of getting injured as Ansah. In Perry’s seven year career, he has missed a combined 31 games, or basically nearly two full seasons. That’s not good.

The good thing for Seattle when it comes to compensatory picks if they sign Perry is they won’t lose any. Perry was released by the Green Bay Packers so he is free to sign with any team at any time and the team he signs with loses nothing.

Perry also played two seasons at USC under Pete Carroll so there is a familiarity there. Seattle needs pass rush help so much I think they sign Perry. If Perry can get to 8 sacks in 2019, he’s worth signing.

How much and when?: I think Seattle signs Perry to something close to $7 million a season over two years. Seattle won’t announce the signing until after the Ansah one, though.