Seahawks trade Darryl Tapp to Philadelphia

Defensive end Darryl Tapp signed a one-year qualifying offer from Seattle Monday. Less than a day later, Tapp was headed toward a longer-term arrangement on the opposite side of the country.

Seattle traded Tapp, 25, to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for pass-rusher Chris Clemons and a fourth-round pick in the next month's NFL draft.

Tapp will travel to Philadelphia Wednesday and undergo a physical exam. If there are no problems, he will sign a long-term extension with the Eagles, though he provided no specifics with regard to the new contract.

"I'm very excited," Tapp said in a telephone interview after the trade. "I have a job. I get an opportunity to play a game that I love to play. It's a brand new step for a lot of different reasons."

The trade was as surprising as it was significant.

Tapp played four seasons for Seattle, starting 30 games since the Seahawks drafted him in the second round in 2006. Tapp, 25, totaled 18 sacks.

Tapp, who got married last month, was asked for his emotions on the trade.

"I'm happy to have a job, honestly," Tapp said. "There's a lot of turnover in the NFL each year. I'm happy to have another opportunity to play. I'm sad to be leaving Seattle. This is the team that gave me a chance the last four years. The fans were awesome. But it's a business."

New Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated he saw Tapp as a roving pass rusher. But Tapp's contract was up, and he became a restricted free agent. Seattle made a qualifying offer of a little less than $1.2 million. The offer entitled the Seahawks to a second-round pick had Tapp signed an offer sheet with another team and Seattle then chose not to match it.

Instead, Tapp signed the one-year qualifying offer and prepared to participate in the team's offseason training program. Tapp said he did not re-sign with Seattle knowing a trade was imminent.

"It kind of just happened," he said.

The Eagles knew the parameters of what Tapp was looking for in terms of a longer-term contract. Philadelphia just needed to work out what Seattle would accept in compensation.

Clemons, 28, is a 240-pound pass-rusher who has played six seasons in the NFL. He had a career-high eight sacks in 2007 with Oakland, and totaled seven sacks in two seasons since coming to Philadelphia in 2008. He is under contract through the 2012 season.

Notes

• DE Dwan Edwards agreed to terms with Buffalo. Edwards, who played for Baltimore, visited Seattle on the first day of free agency.

• The Seahawks signed LB Matt McCoy, according to his agent. McCoy played for Tampa Bay the past two seasons.

• RB Mike Bell visited Seattle last week, but Tuesday agreed to sign an offer sheet with the Eagles. The New Orleans Saints have one week to decide if they will match the offer and retain Bell.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com