Linebacker Bruce Irvin is reportedly on the verge of moving to the Oakland Raiders. This according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Irvin was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round (15th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Source: The #Raiders will sign LB Bruce Irvin when the league year starts tomorrow. Out of nowhere.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
Bruce Irvin To Sign with Oakland Raiders
Irvin amassed 96 tackles, 22 sacks, three interceptions, two touchdowns, seven passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four seasons (58 games, 37 starts) with the Seahawks. In 2015 the fifth-year linebacker recorded 38 tackles and 5.5 sacks while with Seattle, but, while being a solid starter for the Seahawks, he never quite lived up to the expectations of being drafted 15th overall.
Once Irvin became a free agent this off-season, because Seattle decided not to exercise his fifth-year option for $7.8 million, it was reported that the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons were interested in signing the talented linebacker. All three of those teams made sense with the Cardinals in serious need of upgrading their pass rush and having gone up against Irvin twice a season since 2012, Irvin being quoted last off-season as saying he wanted to go down south to play for Dan Quinn (head coach of the Falcons) in 2016, and both Quinn and Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley are former Seahawks defensive coordinators. Bradley was Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2012, Irvin’s rookie season, and Quinn replaced the current Jaguars head coach when he left for Jacksonville.
Irvin played defensive end for Seattle in his rookie season, but later made the change to outside linebacker and proved he was one of the team’s most athletic defenders. By making that move his sack numbers decreased (8.0 in 2012, 2.0 in 2013, 6.5 in 2014 and 5.5 in 2015) but he was really effective in pass coverage.
While at West Virginia, Irvin recorded 61 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks combined in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Irvin’s impressive collegiate career led to the Seahawks using the 15th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to select him.
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