AP

Deon Grant

KIRKLAND, Wash. - Even in the NFL, Microsoft matters.

Deon Grant was weighing free-agent offers from the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks. Then the private jet of Seahawks billionaire owner and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen showed up near Grant's offseason home in Atlanta to take Grant to Seattle for a visit.

Voila! The former Jacksonville Jaguar safety is now a Seahawk.

"It was smooth. Everyone can't ride in a private jet," Grant said while laughing Monday, days after he completed his six-year contract worth a reported $30 million to replace free agent Ken Hamlin as Seattle's free safety.

Patrick Kerney was on the same, "smooth" flight with Grant. The former Atlanta Falcons defensive end is now a Seahawk, too, with his own six-year deal worth $39.5 million.

"It was nice," Grant said of the fancy jet ride with Kerney, whom Grant had known for years. "It made it a lot smoother ride. It was a good look."

But it didn't work for everyone. Seattle desperately wanted San Diego free agent Kris Dielman to fill a gaping void at guard. But Dielman left about $10 million on the table in Seattle and signed a six-year deal to stay with the Chargers for $39 million, with $17 million guaranteed in the first two years.

The Seahawks were left to re-sign veteran Floyd Womack, who has battled injuries throughout his start-and-stop career.

Grant, who turns 28 on Wednesday, and Kerney both said Seattle's four consecutive appearances in the NFC playoffs and current status as a Super Bowl contender ultimately swayed them -- along with Allen's cash and transportation options, of course.

Grant mentioned the Seahawks reaching the 2006 Super Bowl three times during a 15-minute conversation. He didn't have to mention the Giants last appeared in the Super Bowl following the 2000 season.

Grant also liked the reputation that the Seahawks' meticulous, motivating coach Mike Holmgren has in dealing with his players.

"I thought, 'I would like to play for that guy'," Grant said.

He didn't mention Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

"It came down to, 'Who can really get to that Super Bowl?' " Grant said. "You like a team that's winning like that. You want to get to a system like that."

Grant, who can play cornerback and often switched between strong and free safety with Jacksonville, said he never visited New York while considering the Giants' offer.

"I didn't feel I had to ... I have a lot of family there. I'd been there a lot," he said.

Besides his versatility with the Jaguars, Grant became known as the defense's "quarterback" -- barking signals and directing teammates into the right positions just before each play.

The Seahawks repeatedly gave up huge plays in the secondary last season, often because of missed assignments by guys who were out of position at the snap.

"I love to talk," Grant said. "Oh, yeah. That was one of the No. 1 things they were interested in about me."

Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall was Grant's coordinator with the Carolina Panthers in 2001, when Grant began his ongoing streak of 96 consecutive games played.

Grant said Marshall's defense in Seattle appears to be same as it was in Carolina. The strong safety plays closer to the line of scrimmage to defend the run, leaving the free safety as the lone patroller of the deep middle for pass routes. In Seattle, strong safety Michael Boulware, a college linebacker, is better against the run than the pass.

"John's defense, he knows I can do it," Grant said. "That's really the easy part."

As the native of Augusta, Ga., and former University of Tennessee star put it, "It just makes a sweet potato even sweeter."