ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Seahawks DE Michael Bennett will test the free agent market in the coming days.
- Mike Garafolo mentions that the Jaguars and Raiders are “lurking.”
This doesn’t come as a huge surprise as it appeared as though Bennett was set one fielding offers from interested teams in the coming months.
Bennett previously mentioned that he wants to be “compensated with the top guys,” so it’s not going to be easy for Seattle to get him under contract in the next few months.
Bennett, 28, was forced to sign a one-year contract worth $5 million with the Seahawks, despite coming off of a decent 2012 season for the Buccaneers in 2012. The floor seemed to fall out of the defensive end market last year, which led to a number of players accepting limited contracts including: John Abraham, Dwight Freeney, and Shaun Phillips.
Bennett did his best to increase his market value this year by recording 8.5 sacks for the Seahawks defense. Pro Football Focus actually has had him rated as a top-10 4-3 defensive end for the past two years, so he has clearly earned a long-term deal.
We have him listed as the No. 5 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
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Seattle must resign Bennett, at least for the next couple years, barring injury or legal problems of course. Bennett is an integral part of our pass rush and pressure on the D-line! If the Seahawks are going to make another Superbowl run this coming season we really need Bennett! He has definitely proved he is worth every penny! GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Schneider and Carroll will either get Bennet at a price they can live with or drive the price up for the 49ers or whomever wants to try and take him.. He is far more important than people here seem to realize though. Some of those regular season games we would have lost if not for Bennet and that means no home field advantage in the playoffs which means likely no Super Bowl.
He had good stats playing in a good system that kept him fresh all year. Bennett is no slouch, but “paid LIKE a top guy” and “THE” top guy are two different things. Maybe he’s content with one ring and is willing to take his chances and go for the money. I guess well see. John and Pete want him back and I think they will make a legit offer. But they don’t have to give away the farm, and I doubt if they will.
Niner fan here. I think you confirm what I suspected all along and I agree with you more than the other 2. He was fresh all year long and that makes a major difference in paying a guy something lile 12 or 13 million a year. He is close to Julius peppers territory in cashing in while still young enough coming off a good year but decline starts 3 years into the deal. I think the Seahawks know that he is less important than thier own though still important. You can’t have everybody and the seahawks draft so well that only a few players arent replaceable on the team, thus the reason they let Bennett test free agency. You guys have a heck of a football team and I respect the heck out of it. I was rooting for Seattle in the super bowl because I made the preseason prediction of them winning it all and for the second straight year I was right. Also because defense wins championships. Im not a typical fan as you can tell. I wish you guys the best in the future and Seattle always has more respect from me than any other team in the league because I just believe that Seattle is a better football team overall than us. At least right now. If you guys won another championship it wouldn’t bother me one bit.
Nice post, Tris. Very intelligent and well reasoned. It’s nice to see that there are still people out there that can be a fan of a team, and still be a fan of the GAME, and separate the two. I think the NFC Championship game showed how close the Seahawks and the 49er’s are, talent wise. The reality is, your guys were one pass and a foot away from making to to the Super Bowl.
I predict that the NFC West is going to be a killing ground for the next decade. I have a lot of confidence in the Seahawks, but I would consider a 4-2 split within the division to be a good year.
Good luck to you (within reason) and I hope you can get your QB position handled. Kaepernick, or his agent, are high as a kite if they think he is worth $18 million.
…as I was saying…
Most important, I think not. He is one of many factors that got the seahawks to the championship. He’s a good player but near as important as thomas or sherman who are both due.
Although no person is really worth $10 million per year for anything, Bennett is the most important signing this year for the Seahawks if they want another championship.