Report: Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah signing with Seahawks

According to a report Wednesday night from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, free agent defensive end Ezekiel Ansah will sign with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

Selected by the Detroit Lions with the fifth overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, “Ziggy“ Ansah, 29, was the second defensive end (behind Dion Jordan) taken that year. More than a few Kansas City Chiefs fans would have preferred for the team to take Ansah instead of tackle Eric Fisher, whom the Chiefs selected with the first pick that year.

In the last few months, we’ve seen that more than a few still feel that way, identifying Ansah as a player the Chiefs could have targeted in free agency — and considering that he is a product of Andy Reid’s alma mater Brigham Young University, it wouldn’t have been all that surprising for the Chiefs to have made a move for him.

To be sure, Ansah has been more than reliable in Detroit. Over his first five seasons, he notched 44 sacks, 103 quarterback hits, 57 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles. But in 2018, he played in just seven games for the Lions and started only two. He’s undergone shoulder surgery, and according to Schefter, there’s a serious question if he’ll be ready to play before the season begins.

Clearly, this move by the Seahawks is meant to help fill the void left by the departure of defensive end Frank Clark, who was traded to the Chiefs in the week before the draft. It will be interesting to see if the reported one-year deal the Seahawks made will work out for them.