Report says Bruce Irvin will leave Seahawks for Raiders

Bruce Irvin is reportedly on his way to reunite with a coach who helped make him rich in the NFL.

And the Seahawks’ linebacker is about to get a lot richer – in Oakland.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report Tuesday night that Irvin is leaving the Seahawks in free agency to sign with the Raiders when the market officially opens on Wednesday.

Oakland’s second-year defensive coordinator is Ken Norton Jr., Irvin’s position coach for his first three NFL seasons in Seattle. Norton’s belief in and endorsements of Irvin made the pass-rush specialist the 15th overall draft choice by the Seahawks in 2012, when most of the league saw Irvin as a one-trick player more worthy of the second or third rounds. Norton then turned Irvin into an every-down linebacker instead of merely a situational pass rusher.

Seahawks waive Williams

The Seahawks have waived defensive tackle Jesse Williams after he missed the 2015 regular season following surgery for kidney cancer.

Seattle made the roster move with Williams on Tuesday. Williams spent the last season on the nonfootball illness list after he had surgery in the spring to remove a cancerous kidney. Williams returned to join the Seahawks during training camp and played in preseason games but determined at the end of camp to spend the season recovering.

Williams was originally a fifth-round pick of the Seahawks, but missed the 2013 and 2014 seasons because of major knee injuries.

Restricted free agent A.J. Francis also announced on Twitter that he has signed his tender and will remain with the Seahawks. Francis appeared in two games late in the 2015 season for Seattle.