Seahawks’ day of back-filling: Officially signing NT Sealver Siliga, OT Bradley Sowell

The Seahawks’ Monday of back-filling continued with the signing of free-agent defensive tackle Sealver Siliga.

More to the point, Siliga is a nose tackle. Seattle lost nose tackle Brandon Mebane, its longest-tenured player, to San Diego in free agency last week. The one-year deal is reportedly worth $1.4 million.

Siliga made his signing official Monday afternoon by posting on social media a picture of him inking the Seahawks contract.

Minutes later the team made official the signing of Siliga and Arizona Cardinals free-agent offensive tackle Bradley Sowell.

Sowell and Siliga have the two traits in which the Seahawks specialize during this time of the offseason; they are young, and cheap.

The 25-year-old Siliga is six years younger and millions cheaper than Mebane, who signed a contract with the Chargers for three years and $13.5 million. Siliga was with the Seahawks from late August to mid-September 2013, after Seattle traded offensive lineman John Moffitt to Denver to get him. In October 2013 Siliga signed with the New England Patriots. One season later he missed half the year due to injury then started at defensive tackle for the Patriots against the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49.

New England did not tender him a contract offer as a restricted free agent last week. That made him a relatively inexpensive unrestricted free agent. He now gets the chance to replace Mebane as re-signed three-technique tackle Ahtyba Rubin’s partner on what last season was the NFL’s No. 1 run defense.

Also Monday, punter Jon Ryan signed his new contract to which he agreed on Friday. And he did it in a way that further exemplifies why the special-teams captain is beloved in Seattle: While wearing a green, Gary Payton throwback SuperSonics jersey.

This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Seahawks’ day of back-filling: Officially signing NT Sealver Siliga, OT Bradley Sowell."