Bruce Irvin leaving Seahawks, expected to sign with Raiders

Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin is expected to sign with the Oakland Raiders when the new league year starts on Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He will be reuniting with Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who was Irvin's former linebackers coach in Seattle.

Irvin, 28, was a first-round pick by the Seahawks in 2012 and has been a solid starter for the team since his second season in the league. Last year, Irvin played in 15 games and put up 38 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He isn't a pass-rushing specialist by any means, but in his four seasons, he has 22.0 sacks to go with his 131 tackles, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

Irvin has a lot of range and is an all-around, complete player who can do everything asked of him. He's a capable tackler and has been a big part of all the Seahawks' recent success on the defensive side of the ball. He helped the team to a Super Bowl title in 2013 and two NFC Championships.

Many felt it was unlikely Irvin would return to the Seahawks as he didn't seem open to a significant hometown discount for the team that drafted him, and a team with a lot of cap space would have offered him more money on the open market.

Irvin will turn 29 during the 2016 season, a bit old for how long he's been in the league, but he clearly has plenty of high level football ahead of him.