Seahawks re-sign Tapp; jettison Grant

The Seahawks re-signed one mainstay of their defense Monday while parting ways with another.

Seattle signed defensive end Darryl Tapp, 25, to his restricted free agent qualifying offer contract and released veteran safety Deon Grant.

Neither move comes as a surprise given the amount of money involved with both transactions. Retaining Tapp costs the Seahawks just under $1.2 million, not a lot of money for an end who started five games last year and towards the latter part of the season was one of the team’s best pass rushers. Grant, meanwhile, is 31 and was due $4 million in 2010, and with a new coach and general manager brought in this offseason, Seattle is looking to get younger.

In three seasons with Seattle, Grant started every game, recording 224 tackles and eight interceptions. Known for his durability and toughness, Grant finished the season with a wrist injury that required offseason surgery, extending his consecutive-games-started streak to 144 games.

Tapp has recorded 177 tackles and 18 sacks in four seasons with Seattle, including 49 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season.

The Seahawks also signed wide receiver Ruvell Martin Monday, their second addition during free agency.

Martin, 27, played eight games for St. Louis last season, catching six passes for 99 yards. Previously he spent three seasons with Green Bay, and has 58 catches for 548 yards in his career. Martin came into the league in 2004 as an undrafted free agent before playing in NFL Europe, where he led the league in receiving in 2005 while playing for Amsterdam.

Martin, who is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, had his best season in 2006 when he caught 21 passes for 358 yards for the Packers. Martin has an obvious tie with Seattle through newly hired general manager John Schneider, who spent the past eight seasons in the Green Bay front office.

The Seahawks also officially announced the signing of Chris Baker, a reserve tight end with whom they reached an agreement on Saturday.

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog

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