Seahawks sign veteran linebacker Erik Walden

The Seattle Seahawks will take any pass-rushing depth they can get, and it looks as if they’ve made the decision to sign linebacker and edge rusher Erik Walden, best known for his time with the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.

Walden, who turns 33 next Tuesday, most recently played for the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 season, racking up four sacks along the way. While he appeared in every game the Titans played, he only made two starts, a far cry from when he was a regular starter throughout his tenure in Indianapolis, but he was playing behind veterans Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan down in Nashville.

He is only two seasons removed from a career-high 11 sacks and three forced fumbles in his final year with the Colts. That stat is clearly an outlier from his other seasons, as his previous career-high for sacks was six in 2014, but nevertheless we have a good idea why Seattle was interested in his services.

Contract details are not known at this point. Walden’s one-year deal with the Titans was reportedly $2.75 million, with a non-guaranteed $1.35 million base salary. I imagine Seattle will have paid something similar, if not a fair bit cheaper.