Source: Seattle Seahawks, Poona Ford nearing 2-year deal; Ahkello Witherspoon gets 1-year deal
Ford, 25, was set to be a restricted free agent, so his new deal would be in lieu of a one-year, restricted-free-agent tender. It would put Ford on track to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season, when he’ll be 27.
The Seahawks also agreed to a one-year deal with former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, a source confirmed to ESPN. The agreement comes after the team lost starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier Tuesday.
Ford, who is 5-foot-11, went undrafted out of Texas in 2018, due in part to his short stature. He has been a full-time starter alongside Jarran Reed the past two seasons and one of Seattle’s most underrated players. Ford set career-highs in 2020 with eight tackles for loss, two sacks and nine QB hits while developing from an early-down run-stuffer to a three-down defender capable of moving the pocket.
Ford’s pass-rush snaps have increased in each of the past two seasons: 105 as a rookie, 231 in 2019 and 364 last season, according to ESPN charting. He was second to Reed among Seattle’s defensive linemen last season in defensive snaps while appearing in every game.
Ford will become only the Seahawks’ fourth homegrown player either drafted or signed by Seattle as an undrafted rookie since 2013 to get a multi-year second contract from the team. The others are Reed, wide receiver Tyler Lockett and center Justin Britt.
The Seahawks had nine such players acquired over the first three years (2010-2012) of the Pete Carroll/John Schneider regime: safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane, wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Sources told ESPN that the Seahawks are not tendering their other two restricted free agents, linebacker Shaquem Griffin and guard Jordan Simmons, though Simmons could be re-signed at a lower cost than any of the tender amounts.
Wednesday is the deadline for teams to tender restricted free agents. An untendered restricted free agent becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Shaquem Griffin‘s twin brother, Shaquill, became the Seahawks’ third unrestricted free agent to depart. Seattle’s two other UFA departures, running back Carlos Hyde and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, are also joining Jacksonville.
Witherspoon started 33 of 47 games over four seasons with the 49ers, recording four interceptions and 24 passes defended. He hasn’t played in more than 14 games in any season.
At 6-3, Witherspoon has the length that Seattle prefers from perimeter cornerbacks in coach Pete Carroll’s defense.
The Seahawks had interest in Witherspoon in the 2017 draft, when both he (66th overall) and Griffin (90th overall) were taken in the third round. Quinton Dunbar, another Seattle cornerback, is also an unrestricted free agent.
Josina Anderson first reported Witherspoon’s deal with the Seahawks. He’s the first outside free agent Seattle has agreed to sign since the negotiating window opened Monday.