Seahawks reach deal with defensive tackle Al Woods

Tennesee Titans v Chicago Bears

The Seattle Seahawks have continued to add to their defensive line in the latter stages of free agency.

Veteran defensive tackle Al Woods has reached a deal with the Seahawks, per his agency.

Woods, 32, joins defensive end Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah as free agents along the defensive line to reach deals with the Seahawks this week. Ansah officially signed his deal with the team on Friday.

The deal is for one-year and worth up to $2.25 million, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

It's actually a return to Seattle for Woods, who spent part of the 2011 season with the team. The Seahawks claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following roster cuts and he spent just over two months with the team. He played in just two games and had one tackle with the team at the time.

Woods has played for six different teams in his nine-year career. He was originally a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints out of LSU in 2010. However, the Saints released him in September as he did not make the opening roster with the team. He signed to the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers days later and was signed away to the 53-man roster of the Buccaneers in November of that season.

After being released by Seattle, Woods was claimed off waivers by the Steelers and he began to find regular playing time. After appearing in just 11 games in total during his first two seasons, Woods played in 12 games for Pittsburgh in 2012 alone. He's appeared in at least 12 games in each of his last seven seasons in the league.

After two full seasons in Pittsburgh, Woods spent three with the Tennessee Titans and the last two with the Indianapolis Colts. He's appeared in 111 games in his career with 43 starts. He's recorded 172 tackles with 4.5 sacks.

Woods was a defensive team captain with the Colts last season. He brings some added depth to the defensive interior to pair with Jarran Reed, Poona Ford and Jamie Meder.

The signings of Ansah, Woods and cornerback Jamar Taylor all come following the May 7 deadline for free agency signings to count against the compensatory draft pick formula. The Seahawks are set to receive four compensatory draft picks next season and would have lost picks had these signings occurred before the deadline.

Photo Credit: CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 27: Al Woods #96 of the Tennessee Titans rushes against Cody Whitehair #65 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Titans defeated the Bears 27-21. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)


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