By registering the 26-year-old Nkemdiche, the Seahawks are carrying a high-value flier on a former first-round choice that had been outside of the NFL last year.

A source told ESPN’s Ed Werder that Nkemdiche needed another opportunity to play at the NFL and”crushed” a work out with Seattle. The origin told Werder the Nkemdiche’s registering is irrelevant to Aldon Smith’s recent arrest.

His signing possibly adds depth to a position that required a hit when the Seahawks released longtime starter Jarran Reed earlier this month following an odd situation where he refused to restructure his contract. The Seahawks subsequently signed Al Woods as an choice to substitute Reed on early setbacks.

However, behind Ford, Woods and Bryan Mone, Seattle’s other defensive tackles are a set of second-year players at Myles Adams and Cedrick Lattimore that have a single match of NFL experience between them. Additionally, Woods is 34 and did not play last year after picking out because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Nkemdiche 29th total in 2016, two areas prior to the Seahawks took undertake Germain Ifedi.

The Cardinals waived Nkemdiche using a failed-physical designation prior to the 2019 year after trainer Kliff Kingsbury told me he came to training camp out of shape. Nkemdiche signed together with all the Miami Dolphins but was waived after playing two games.

Even though a free agent, Nkemdiche functioned a two-game suspension in 2019 for a breach of the NFL’s performance-enhancing medication policy. Back in June 2019, Nkemdiche had been arrested on an outstanding warrant after he had been pulled over for speeding on his way to clinic.

The Seahawks have just 3 choices in this season’s NFL draft, no first-rounder and just 1 choice at the top 125.