Tag Archives: Michael Bennett

July 23, 2016 cc Leave a comment

With training camp starting in one week, let’s look at some pre-camp player reports:

Michael Bennett is griping about his contract yet again. But don’t believe him when he says, “Just get rid of me.”

Russell Wilson, who now looks almost as hulked up as Robert Turbin, told Q13 Fox: “We’ll try to bring back Super Bowl 51 if we can. We’ll do everything we can, every day. That’s a promise.”

Justin Britt’s switch to center is one of the major camp stories to watch.

Pete Carroll reminds us why the Seahawks think J’Marcus Webb will succeed with them.

Can Thomas Rawls take over for Marshawn Lynch — even if he doesn’t play in the preseason?

John Clayton projects Rawls to get 16-17 carries a game, with the other backs getting six or seven.

Christine Michael — among those trying to replace Lynch — admits, “I was just being a young guy, just being a knucklehead.”

Like last year, all eyes will be on Jimmy Graham — from camp through the season.

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Contracts

‘Just get rid of me’? Bennett doesn’t mean it

July 22, 2016 cc Leave a comment

“If you don’t think I’m valuable, then just get rid of me.” — Michael Bennett

Bennett thanks the football gods

For over a year, Michael Bennett has made clear his dissatisfaction with his contract, which has steadily been overtaken by bigger deals — often to lesser players.

In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Bennett said, “I just want to be fairly compensated with the top guys in the league. I’m definitely one of the top five defensive ends.”

It’s the same stuff he has said all offseason. But he has grown more frustrated as he has watched a host of defensive linemen get big deals — capped by Von Miller’s recent $114.5 million contract. He also surely took note of the $11 million-per-year deal Doug Baldwin signed with the Hawks.

“It is never-ending, especially when people are getting new contracts every day,” said Bennett, in the third year of a four-year, $28.5 million deal. “You sit there and you’re like, ‘Damn, really?’ I’m just to the point where it’s kind of like, ‘If you don’t think I’m valuable, then just get rid of me.’”

Some will take that as him asking for a trade. But don’t believe it. Bennett was just blowing off some steam.

Continue reading ‘Just get rid of me’? Bennett doesn’t mean it →

CHAWK LINES

July 10, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Richard Sherman’s celebrity softball event is today at Safeco Field. Sherman has been trash-talking about the Home Run Derby.

Saying he was “thrilled to be able to support him,” Pete Carroll showed up to Michael Bennett’s football camp in Hawaii. (Carroll apparently has a home on Oahu as well.)

Jordan Hill, who just hosted his own camp, is headed to Hawaii to work with Bennett and Cliff Avril ahead of Seattle’s training camp.

Bennett, whose camp was free, ripped NBA MVP Stephen Curry for charging outrageous fees for his Hawaii camp.

ICYMI: Russell Wilson and Ciara got married last week. Then, in yet another TMI moment, they talked about how much sex they are going to have. This all came after Ciara said she thinks Wilson’s life is in danger.

Avril’s NFC team won a “Family Feud” battle against an AFC quintet.

Brandon Browner allegedly was in an altercation with his girlfriend’s father in California.

Terry Poole and Kristjan Sokoli supported the Special Olympics in Alaska.

From the “Who cares?” file, Bobby Wagner apparently was annoyed he was not on NFL Network’s list of the NFL’s top 100 players.

Contracts, State of the team

What does Baldwin deal mean for Bennett, 2017?

June 29, 2016 cc Leave a comment

Earlier this year, we said 2017 could be another “splash” offseason for John Schneider. But he dived into the deep end early, giving Doug Baldwin a $46 million deal this week.

Now the big question: What does that mean for Seattle’s 2017 salary cap? More important: What does it mean for the underpaid Michael Bennett? And, by extension, what might that mean for the highly paid Jimmy Graham?

Continue reading What does Baldwin deal mean for Bennett, 2017? →

CHAWK LINES

June 24, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Michael Bennett makes his case to be paid more: “I haven’t missed a game in three years.”

Can a helicopter pilot be a jet-setter? He can when he’s Russell Wilson.

The Seahawks’ top stars did their bit for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” opener. The Seahawks will be on NBC four times next season.

The rookies heard words of wisdom from Walter Jones, Marcus Trufant and other former Seahawks.

Pete Carroll listed six areas of major competition for training camp. According to the Seahawks.com poll, fans are most looking forward to seeing how the offensive line and running back play out.

John Boyle of Seahawks.com offered 10 takeaways from offseason workouts.

The Seahawks worked on pursuit this offseason, and Bob Condotta hypothesizes that Carroll is trying to get his team to force more turnovers.

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Contracts, Minicamp, State of the team

Contracts take backseat to Super Bowl LI

June 16, 2016 cc 1 Comment

Kam and Bennett A year ago at this time, the Seahawks had all kinds of financial turmoil — and it ultimately played a role in ruining team chemistry and the season.

Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner needed extensions. Bruce Irvin was unhappy his option had not been picked up. Michael Bennett was dissatisfied with his brand-new deal. And, unbeknownst to everyone in June, Kam Chancellor was the most displeased of all.

As it turned out, Chancellor was the only player who caused a ruckus, holding out until the third week of the season, but it was a distraction that did indeed affect chemistry and performance. The Seahawks ultimately fell short of a third straight Super Bowl because of it.

This June, the Seahawks seemingly are one big, happy family again — of one mind as they prepare for a Super Bowl redux. Sure, Bennett and Chancellor still feel they are underpaid. And Doug Baldwin is waiting to get a new contract. But, out of their own mouths, none of those three are going to hold out and screw up team chemistry.

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CHAWK LINES

June 16, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Seahawks OTAs & minicamp

Michael Bennett was back for mandatory minicamp and explained why he won’t hold out.

Kam Chancellor is healthy, wealthy (enough) and (finally) wise — not planning a holdout.

Russell Wilson, 27, wants to play at least 15 more years.

Among the notables on Day 2 of the minicamp, per Bob Condotta, were C.J. Prosise, Christine Michael and Douglas McNeil.

J’Marcus Webb returned while Garry Gilliam remained out.

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CHAWK LINES

May 29, 2016 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Back from a couple of unplugged weeks in Europe, here’s the most recent on the Seahawks:

Bob Condotta ran down some personnel pairings from the OTAs.

Seahawks.com posited six takeaways, including a reminder not to forget about Tharold Simon (who has been easy to forget in his first three years).

Pete Carroll says he won’t rush Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls into training camp and is “kind of counting on” them to be ready for Week 1.

Doug Baldwin expects contract talks to start soon, but he is not worried about it.

While we were gone, Bennett told 710 ESPN he will not hold out for a new contract.

The Marshawn Lynch speculation won’t die, but Bennett and Doug Baldwin think he’s done.

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State of the team, The roster

A look at the roster after the ‘rebirth’

May 10, 2016 cc 2 Comments

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson plan to be clapping about their offense a lot this season (Getty Images) The Seahawks didn’t have a so-called “championship offseason” last year, and the results were pretty predictable: no championship.

Everyone hoped they could overcome all of the negatives — the loss of confidence in Pete Carroll after his asinine Super Bowl call, the silly fan backlash against Russell Wilson, the poor health of almost their entire secondary, the pointless holdout of Kam Chancellor, the idiotic coaching decision to start Drew Nowak at center.

It all added up to a disjointed start and disheartening finish. It was obviously too much to overcome for a team that had become fractured and really needed to be glued back together again.

The Hawks entered this offseason with more than a few concerns about their ability to bounce back. They needed to replace Marshawn Lynch, deal with unhappy campers Chancellor and Michael Bennett, rebuild their offensive line and fortify their defensive line.

At this point, it looks like they have put the glue in place for all of those fixes: Lynch was replaced by three draft picks; Chancellor made up with the team; Bennett sounds like he will come back ready to repeat his stellar 2015 season; the club replaced Russell Okung, Alvin Bailey and J.R. Sweezy with five linemen and Brandon Mebane with three.

Carroll says this offseason “almost feels like a rebirth.”

“We’ve been through a lot of stuff; we’ve been challenged by a lot of stuff,” he told 710 ESPN on Monday. “We’ve learned so much: winning and losing and then trying to come back again and still maintaining this huge standard and expectation. And we know it’s right there for us. Everybody feels it. That’s what is really fueling the energy around the building and why we’re so enthused. And then we hit it with this draft, so it’s feeling pretty good. Millions of things have to happen, but we’re in the right place right now.”

Let’s take a post-draft look at the roster and see whether that is true:

Continue reading A look at the roster after the ‘rebirth’ →