Seahawks bring back Fluker, Wright, add Iupati

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks are keeping a couple of key pieces from last season’s playoff team while adding to their offensive line.

The Seahawks announced a pair of signings on Thursday, including keeping linebacker K.J. Wright with the only NFL team he’s ever played for. Seattle also announced the signing of offensive lineman Mike Iupati to a one-year deal to replace the loss of J.R. Sweezy in free agency.

Seattle also reached agreement on a two-year deal with offensive linemen D.J. Fluker, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, the Seahawks. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on because the team had not announced the deal.

It was a busy second day of the league year for the Seahawks after being mostly quiet in the early stages of free agency.

Fluker was a key influence in Seattle’s resurgence as the top running team in the NFL. The veteran dealt with leg injuries at times during the season, but appeared in 10 games for the Seahawks.

Retaining Fluker and the addition of Iupati will help bolster the depth on an offensive line that finally solidified last season and led to significant improvement with Seattle’s offense. Iupati was a Pro Bowl selection in four straight seasons from 2012-15 and has played for division rivals San Francisco and Arizona. Iupati was an All-Pro selection in 2012.

“They’re a winning team,” Iupati said in a statement from the team. “They’ve been competitors and contenders for the nine years I’ve been in the league. It’s close to home, and Mike Solari is also one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come here because he was my coach in (San Francisco). He’s awesome.”

Wright is one of the few remaining holdovers from Seattle’s Super Bowl championship team and helps a linebackers group that could be among the best in the league if healthy and available, teaming with Bobby Wagner and Mychal Kendricks. Wright’s deal is for two seasons.

Wright’s future was uncertain after an injury-filled 2018 season where he played in just five games due to a knee injury in the final year of his current contract. Before the injury troubles of last season, Wright was incredibly durable for Seattle having started 63 of the previous 64 regular season games. Wright, who will turn 30 years old this summer, was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2016 when he had 124 tackles and four sacks.

Wright said at the end of last season he intended to test the free agent market to see where his value stood. But he also had indicated a desire to play his entire career in one place and continue to team with Wagner.

“I want to end my career as a Seahawk, but it’s a business,” Wright said at the end of the season. “. This is my first time, I never went through (free agency) before. We’ve just got to see when that time comes.”

Seattle also announced the signing of Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers in the hope he will help solve issues in the Seahawks’ kicking game the past two seasons.