The surprise of the first round of the 2012 draft has become the first 2012 first-round pick to sign a contract.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with defensive end Bruce Irvin.
The team’s decision to make Irvin the 15th pick in the draft sparked heavy criticism, primarily from draft experts who didn’t realize that Irvin had quietly become one of the hotter players on the board. At least seven teams rated him in the top 15, and the 49ers put him through a private workout in the days preceding the draft.
The new CBA makes the process of signing draft picks considerably easier. Irvin presumably will get what the 15th pick a year ago received, with an increase based on the increase in the rookie pool.
By rule, it will be a four-year deal with a team-held option for a fifth year. If the option is exercised, Irvin will receive in 2016 the average salary paid to the third-highest paid defensive end, through the 25th.