Seahawks to sign ex-Lions DE Ansah

Former Detroit Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, a league source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The acquisition of Ansah will help offset the loss of DE Frank Clark, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

By waiting until Thursday, the Seahawks won’t lose a 2020 compensatory pick by signing Ansah. Any unrestricted free agents signed after 4 p.m. ET on May 7 no longer count against the formula used to determine comp picks the following season. The Seahawks were projected to receive the maximum of four 2020 comp picks and did not want to forfeit any of them, which was a reason they waited until now.

The Seahawks brought Ansah in for a visit in late April, according to Schefter. A source told ESPN that they met with former Packers outside linebacker Nick Perry in late March. Perry was released by Green Bay and thus would have had no bearing on future compensatory picks had he been signed before May 7.

Seattle was also linked to defensive tackles Al Woods, Corey Liuget, Danny Shelton and Earl Mitchell. Woods appeared in two games with the Seahawks in 2011.

Ansah, who turns 30 later this month, has 48 sacks in 80 career games since the Detroit Lions drafted him fifth overall in 2013. His best season came in 2015, when he recorded 14.5 sacks en route to his only Pro Bowl appearance. Ansah played on a $17.143 million franchise tag last season and was limited to seven games by a shoulder injury that required surgery. That could keep him out until the start of training camp or shortly thereafter.