Reports: Seahawks, Tony McDaniel agree to deal

[seer-12thman]

Reports: Seahawks, Tony McDaniel agree to deal

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By Brady Henderson

The Seahawks and free-agent defensive tackle Tony McDaniel have agreed to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and ProFootballTalk.com.
McDaniel, 28, spent the last four seasons in Miami, recording 82 tackles and seven sacks in 57 games. He began his career in Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2006.
McDaniel visited the Seahawks last week. Seattle's interest was understandable given the uncertain future of Alan Branch, who's also an unrestricted free agent. Branch has been a productive starter for Seattle the past two seasons, but he hasn't so much as taken a known visit to another team more than two weeks into the signing period.
Branch reportedly changed agents Wednesday, which is sometimes a precursor for a contract another team. agreement. But with McDaniel joining the Seahawks, whatever deal Branch signs will likely be with
McDaniel becomes the third defensive lineman the Seahawks have added this offseason, along with pass rushers Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. He's started just five games in seven NFL seasons, so the Seahawks would be taking a bit of a leap of faith if their intention is for McDaniel to replace Branch in the starting lineup. Then again, Branch was a part-time player in Arizona before coming to Seattle.

 

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the veteran offers their defensive line. Price was another big consideration.
2010-12 Alan Branch vs. Tony McDaniel

DTBranchMcDaniel
Games 47 38
Snaps 1,842 1,092
Snap pct. 55.2 33.6
Tackles 98 66
Solo 64 49
Assists 34 17
Sacks 6.0 5.5
Forced Fumbles 2 0
Fum. Recoveries 1 1
Batted passes 2 6
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

McDaniel's salary on a one-year deal will surely fall below what Alan Branch earned on a recently completed two-year deal. All else equal, I presume the Seahawks would have preferred to keep Branch. Perhaps they can get him on the cheap at some point in the future.

For now, though, it's looking like the Seahawks added a veteran defensive tackle with their budget in mind.

The Seahawks have built a young defense with an especially affordable back seven. They rank 30th in projected 2013 cap dollars committed to cornerbacks. They're 15th in that category at safety. But the rankings are in the top five at defensive tackle and defensive end thanks to the contracts for Chris Clemons, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane. Adding a cheaper defensive tackle made sense in that context. We'll see if McDaniel provides more than insurance.

"His length hinders his ability to play with good pad level, and he lacks great lateral agility in space," Scouts Inc. wrote of the 6-foot-7 McDaniel before last season. "He does flash power at the point of attack defending the run and pushing the pocket. McDaniel continues to make progress but is still raw."

McDaniel has started five games in seven NFL seasons. Branch has started 31 games over the past two seasons. However, Branch was considered a disappointing second-round choice in Arizona, where he started three games in four years, before signing with Seattle. He played well for the Seahawks. Could McDaniel emerge, too? I don't know, but if McDaniel signed on a bargain deal, as anticipated, then we should set expectations accordingly.

It's not yet clear how much the Seahawks will count on McDaniel. Jaye Howard is a young defensive tackle the team hopes to develop. Seattle could draft for the position as well. I'd be surprised if the Seahawks invested a significant sum for a veteran at the position, however. That wouldn't seem to fit in the bigger picture