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Reports: Ziggy Ansah to sign with Seattle Seahawks

Two months after he hit the market, Ziggy Ansah has found a home. Ansah, who spent the last six seasons with the Lions, is expected to sign a one-year deal Thursday with the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple reports. Ansah is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL when healthy, but he's been limited by ankle, knee and shoulder injuries the last three seasons. He played just seven games last year before tearing the labrum in his right shoulder and still is recovering from surgery . Ansah also drew interest from the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints in free agency, but differing medical opinions on whether he'll be ready for the start of the regular season delayed his signing. As of Tuesday, free-agent additions no longer count against the compensatory pick formula, lessening the risk for the signing team. Ansah, the fifth pick of the 2013 draft, had a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2015, a half sack shy of the Lions' record, but managed just 18 sacks in the three seasons since. In 2016, Ansah battled a high-ankle sprain most of the year and finished with just two sacks. He had 12 sacks but was wildly inconsistent while playing through a knee injury the next year. And last season, Ansah had just four sacks in seven games. He initially injured his shoulder in the Lions’ season-opening loss to the New York Jets, missed six games and returned in early November in a part-time capacity. Ansah, who played last season on the franchise tag, also underwent surgery on his left shoulder after his rookie season. The Lions signed Trey Flowers to a five-year, $90 million deal in free agency to replace Ansah, and neither party had much interest in rekindling their relationship this spring. "Ziggy fought through some things (last) year," Lions general manager Bob Quinn said after the season. "Ziggy’s extremely, extremely tough and I’m proud of him being a Detroit Lion because he, like Matthew Stafford, he played through some things that a lot of guys wouldn’t and I appreciate that.” In Seattle, Ansah should help fill the void left by Frank Clark's trade to the Kansas City Chiefs. Clark tied for seventh in the NFL with 13 sacks last season. The Seahawks used the franchise tag on the former Michigan standout before dealing him to the Chiefs for a first-round pick and exchange of third-rounders. The Seahawks used the pick acquired from the Chiefs to take TCU defensive end L.J. Collier. Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter .