Tag Archives: Michael Bennett

‘This is a team that’s built for the future’

June 11, 2015 cc Leave a comment

“This is a team that’s built for the future. … We’re in the middle of this. This is not like the end. This is just the middle of this.” — Pete Carroll to 710 ESPN after blowing the Super Bowl in February.

The Seahawks’ contract impasse with Russell Wilson has many wondering how much longer he will be the team’s quarterback and, in a related consideration, how long the Hawks’ Super Bowl window will remain open.

But Pete Carroll’s comments from February remain just as germane today, despite the apparent lack of progress on Wilson’s deal: This team is right in the middle of its Super Bowl window.

The team controls Wilson’s contract for at least three more seasons, which happens to match the duration of the deals of some of the team’s best players: Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett. Signed through 2018 are Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman.

Sure, Lynch could walk at any time if he feels the Call of Duty to do something else. And Bennett might not be with the team beyond this year if he continues to sit inside the VMAC whining about his contract while his teammates practice.

But, with the team now talking to Bobby Wagner about a new deal, we should be able to add the linebacker to the list of long-term Seahawks at some point this year.

Add the team’s young receivers (Paul Richardson, Tyler Lockett, Kevin Norwood) and some of the other additions from the last two drafts, and the Hawks have a solid core through at least 2017.

Continue reading ‘This is a team that’s built for the future’ →

Contracts, State of the team

Wilson & Wagner are in, Bennett & Irvin are not

June 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

I’M IN.

It’s one of the Seahawks’ mantras. And clearly not everyone is buying in completely.

Offseason team workouts don’t offer too much football value — they’re like glorified walk-throughs — but they are a great vehicle for seeing who is committed to the team and who isn’t.

Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner certainly are. Michael Bennett and Bruce Irvin are a different story.

All of them have contract concerns. Wilson and Wagner are entering the final year of their deals, but neither is complaining that he doesn’t have a deal yet; Wilson is leading the offense in workouts and Wagner is right in there with his higher-paid defensive teammates.

Meanwhile, Bennett and Irvin are pouting about their contracts, boycotting voluntary work with the rest of the team.

Continue reading Wilson & Wagner are in, Bennett & Irvin are not →

CHAWK LINES

May 30, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Holdout Michael Bennett said he wants to be paid like the top seven players at his position, which would mean $10 million a year.

Russell Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, talked to 710 ESPN about contract negotiations.

Danny Kelly of Field Gulls wrote about the detailed technique Pete Carroll’s staff teaches cornerbacks. As we wrote a couple of years ago, the Pete Carroll Secondary School has been in session for 30 years.

Cary Williams appears to fit right in with the Legion of Boom. The Hawks think the 30-year-old’s best football will come in Seattle.

Field Gulls rounded up some radio interviews by Jordan Hill, Luke Willson and Jermaine Kearse.

K.J. Wright talked to 710 ESPN about new LBs coach Lofa Tatupu and new DC Kris Richard (recall that both of those guys played for Carroll at USC).

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” fan Bobby Wagner was voted by NFL peers as the 69th best player in the league, per NFL Network. Michael Bennett was No. 90. Six other Seahawks will be listed higher.

Kam Chancellor and Carroll think the Hawks are Super focused in the wake of the crushing end to last season.

Matt Bowen and Chris Simms of Bleacher Report look at Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett — Seattle’s two awesome new weapons.

Wilson was a guest speaker at Rodgers’ daughter’s graduation.

CHAWK LINES

May 24, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Jon Ryan will be on “America Ninja Warrior” on Monday, proving he can do more than punt, pass and kick.

Tough-luck Jesse Williams got more bad health news with the diagnosis of kidney cancer.

Kris Richard talked about the defense, the new coaches, Tharold Simon and Cary Williams.

Bob Condotta looked at whether the Seahawks might consider going for two points rather than kicking a PAT from the 15-yard line.

Michael Bennett said Pete Carroll is like Willy Wonka. That was part of an interview in which Bennett complained some more about NFL economics. Prepare for a holdout.

Bobby Wagner said he would like to get a new contract soon, but he said, “I’ve heard nothing.”

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Contracts, Trades

Bennett does not want out of Seattle

May 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

That should put an end to it. Michael Bennett made it clear Thursday that he does not want to be traded.

In an interview with KING-5 TV’s “New Day Northwest,” Bennett admitted what we already knew: He wants a pay raise.

“I’m just like any other American. I think everybody wants to be paid a little bit more, so I don’t think I fall short of that,” he said.

And then — for the second time in a month — he shot down a trade report.

“When you ask for a little more money, they assume that you want to be traded or something like that,” he said. “But that’s not what I’m trying to go for.”

Asked directly if he wanted to be traded, he said, “No.”

So, as we suspected, the reports of him wanting out almost surely are coming from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus — who probably is doing whatever he can to shake the Seahawks into giving Bennett more money. And, as we said, they aren’t going to do it — at least not this year.

Contracts, The roster, Trades

Rosenhaus’ smoke and mirrors won’t work

May 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Where there’s smoke, there must be fire — unless Drew Rosenhaus and some mirrors are involved.

Jason La Canfora, who has had some recent scoops regarding the Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch’s deal and the drafting of Frank Clark), dropped another one Wednesday when he wrote that Bennett “and his agent have made it clear he’d rather not be back in Seattle.”

This is the second report indicating Bennett wants out — although he and the Seahawks both denied last month that he asked for a trade. He does, however, want his contract beefed up — and that clearly is the crux of the “he wants out” reports, surely propagated by his notorious agent, Rosenhaus.

Don’t expect the Seahawks to fall for his cheap tricks.

Continue reading Rosenhaus’ smoke and mirrors won’t work →

NFL draft, State of the team, The roster

What do Jeanpierre, Bennett mean for draft?

April 21, 2015 cc Leave a comment

With the draft now a little over a week away, some of the Seahawks’ positional concerns were highlighted Monday with the news that (a) Michael Bennett did not show up to offseason workouts, (b) the Hawks re-signed center Lemuel Jeanpierre and (c) the Hawks hosted speedy wide receiver Chris Conley last week.

Bennett’s absence — likely tied to his sudden dissatisfaction with his contract — is nothing to be concerned about now and won’t be unless he remains absent when training camp begins in July.

The only mandatory team event between now and then is the minicamp June 16-18. But if Bennett remains away, he clearly won’t be following up on his stated goal of “trying to be a good Seahawk.”

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Contracts

Bennett is ‘trying to be a good Seahawk’

April 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Michael Bennett confirmed Thursday that he did not ask for a trade to Atlanta (or anywhere else, we presume), and he also confirmed he is not happy with his contract but is “trying to be a good Seahawk.”

Pete Carroll and John Schneider both previously have said Bennett has not asked for a trade, but Schneider avoided answering a question about the defensive end’s contract and there remained lingering whispers that Bennett was not happy with the $28.5 million deal he signed last year.

On Thursday, Bennett debunked the trade rumor, started by a Dallas report related to Greg Hardy late last month.

“They made rumors about Jesus; they’ll make rumors about anybody,” Bennett cracked to 710 ESPN’s Justin and Gee. “I never asked for it. I didn’t come to (the Seahawks) asking for a trade.”

Justin and Gee (never to be mistaken for news reporters) didn’t ask Bennett about his contract, but the Tom & Curley Show did.

Asked if he was happy with his deal, Bennett told the KIRO Radio hosts, “I can’t really say that. I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money they’re making. At this point, I’m just trying to be a good Seahawk.”

Continue reading Bennett is ‘trying to be a good Seahawk’ →

CHAWK LINES

March 28, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks got four comp picks for the first time, giving them 11 picks in the draft.

The Seahawks added three defensive coaches — including former Seattle assistant Dwaine Board and one of Pete Carroll’s former USC defensive backs.

John Schneider talked about Russell Wilson, Michael Bennett and Brandon Mebane at the owners meetings.

Carroll said he is “fueled” by the Super Bowl loss and doesn’t want to let it go because he wants to learn from it.

He also said, “I’m confident that this team is going to come back and fricking roar. We are going to roar back into this offseason. These guys are working hard for it.’’

Carroll said all reports on Wilson’s contract so far were incorrect, and he talked about many of the players along the defensive line.

Carroll also said the Hawks are working on re-signing several of their remaining free agents.

Schneider said the Seahawks chose Michael Bennett over Golden Tate last year because the draft had a better class of receivers than pass rushers. (The Hawks ended up drafting receivers Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood.)

The NFL is going to change the PAT in some fashion. Here’s Carroll’s idea:

Our idea for the extra point: -Automatic 7pts for a TD -Mandatory try from the 2 for 1pt -Defense can score 1pt by returning a fumble or INT

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) March 25, 2015

The Saints reportedly talked to the Dolphins about Jimmy Graham, too.

The Kingdome was imploded 15 years ago this week. And the debt for that structure was finally paid off this week as well.

Carroll helped Mike Williams, former USC star and one-time Seahawk, get a gig coaching high school football in Los Angeles.

Marshawn Lynch will appear in a Ludacris video for the rapper’s riff called — what else? — “Beast Mode.” (Did he have to pay Lynch royalties for using that title?)

Lynch has a strain of pot named after him, but he doesn’t smoke, according to Snoop Dogg, who said, “My homeboy got a career to play. He’s still in the NFL. He’s got a commissioner to deal with.”

Clare Farnsworth, who had covered the Seahawks for nearly their entire existence, retired this week.

State of the team, The roster

Carroll’s State of the D-line Address

March 25, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The defensive line was a major topic for Pete Carroll at the NFL owners meetings Wednesday, according to quotes passed along by Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

Among the tidbits Carroll shared:

He talks to Michael Bennett regularly, and Bennett has not said anything about wanting to be traded.

Bennett apparently is unhappy with his deal, which Carroll probably knows, but Carroll repeated what the team and John Schneider have said: Bennett has not asked for a trade.

“We communicate regularly and I’m in touch with where Mike is and what’s going on,” Carroll said. “He hasn’t mentioned a thing about any of that. It’s never been part of the conversation. I’ll probably see Mike this week, maintain what’s going on. Like so many things that happen, those things come out of somewhere, but they are not coming out of the conversations that we have had.”

Continue reading Carroll’s State of the D-line Address →