Seahawks Sign S Bradley McDougald

One of the best defensive players left on the board is now spoken for. Safety Bradley McDougald has agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a one-year deal, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. He’ll earn $2MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The former Bucs notable was also mulling an offer from the Browns, La Canfora adds. Bradley McDougald (Vertical)

McDougald, 26, has been a full-time starter for the last two years. The former UDFA graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 42 safety last year, but he regarded more highly by traditional evaluation methods. In his four seasons with Tampa Bay, McDougald started 31 games and recorded four interceptions with 14 passes defensed. Once the Bucs signed fellow defensive back J.J. Wilcox to a two-year deal, odds were that McDougald wound wind up elsewhere.

In Seattle, McDougald will likely be the first safety off the bench to relieve Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. In Cleveland, we presume, he would have had a chance of starting. It’s possible that McDougald chose the Seahawks over the Browns because of their higher likelihood of winning in 2017 and the potential for him to boost his value as a part of a strong defense. McDougald is still young and he could cash in on a multi-year deal this time next year if he performs well.

Heading into Wednesday, PFR’s Dallas Robinson had McDougald ranked as the No. 2 safety left on the board behind T.J. McDonald. Darius Butler was ahead of both players on the list, but he circled back to the Colts when the second wave of free agency got underway. He was our No. 10 ranked safety at the outset of free agency.

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