Seahawks add to needy pass rush, agree to deal with Uchenna Nwosu for $10.5M guaranteed
The Seahawks have made their first needed import of the NFL free agency period.
Now-former Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu has agreed to a two-year contract with Seattle. The deal that was to be announced officially after the new league year begins and free-agent market officially opens Wednesday afternoon is worth $20 million and includes $10.5 million guaranteed, Nwosu’s agent Ryan Matha confirmed online on Twitter.
The 25-year-old edge rusher has 15 sacks in four NFL seasons, including 9 1/2 the last two years for the Chargers. They selected the 6-foot-2, 251-pound linebacker out of USC in the second round of the 2018 draft
Coach Pete Carroll has said his primary aim for 2022 is to improve the Seahawks’ pass rush and pressure opposing quarterbacks more often into more mistakes.
Carroll’s and the Seahawks’ particular attraction to Nwosu is the fact he’s been pass rushing as an outside linebacker in the Chargers’ 3-4 scheme. Seattle has been a 4-3 defense in 12 years under Carroll, but the head coach and new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt have said this offseason the Seahawks will be more of a 3-4 team.
That means outside linebackers as edge rushers, such as Darrell Taylor, who had 6 1/2 sacks in his first full NFL season for Seattle in 2021. Taylor and now Nwosu will join 4-3-style end Carlos Dunlap as primary edge rushers on a defense that needs a few more.
Seattle’s pass rush has been an issue for the last two seasons in particular. It’s a large reason the team forced just 18 turnovers on defense last season, the fewest in team history.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Seahawks add to needy pass rush, agree to deal with Uchenna Nwosu for $10.5M guaranteed."
