No Michael Bennett at Seahawks workouts

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Earlier this month, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett denied reports that he requested a trade away from Seattle this offseason because he was unhappy about the contract he signed before last season.

Bennett didn’t go on to throw cold water on the idea that he’s feeling less than thrilled about his contract, however.

“I can’t really say that. But I mean I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money that they’re making. But at this point, I’m just trying to be a good Seahawk,” Bennett said on KIRO.

Should Bennett sit for another interview, his feelings about his contract are likely to be revisited after he didn’t show up for the first day of the team’s voluntary offseason work on Monday. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports that the desire to renegotiate his deal was behind the absence.

Seahawks General Manager John Schneider has espoused a policy of not extending deals with more than a year left and Bennett’s heading into the second year of the four-year pact he signed in 2014. The team did move some money around to placate running back Marshawn Lynch and bring his holdout to an end last year, however, and Bennett may be angling for the same consideration this time around.

60 responses to “No Michael Bennett at Seahawks workouts

  1. As a close friend of the organization I would just like to say that it is very important to keep this guy happy. He has now emerged as a leader and if you want to keep what you have going, keep the leaders happy. Unless it is very unreasonable, but in Bennett’s case, it is not.

  2. Here we go Seahawks fans. You all were a bit premature on your “dynasty” proclamation and now you’re experiencing the price of success. The real Dynasty Patriots have been dealing with this for 14 years and have managed to remain at the top of the league leading up to the prevention of your dynasty in February. Let’s see what you guys can do.

  3. You know what I love about the new CBA? Guys can’t hold out anymore. Feel free to miss all the voluntary stuff you want Bennett. I support you doing that actually. But when it becomes mandatory, you’ll show up or be fined like 50K a day.

  4. Just play ball, these guys make alot of money to not worry about taking care of there families for the rest of there lives you just gotta be smart about how you spend your money.

  5. The Seahawks need more help up front on their D line as it is… To move more money around doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

    The real reason the Seahawks lost the super bowl was due to the fact that in the 4th Avril went out with a concussion and they could no longer give Brady enough pressure which gave him time to slice Simon a new one….

    Now Bennett is basically asking for the Seahawks to sacrifice more to the false start king of the NFL?

    The guy is an absolute beast and is a huge reason the Seahawks D is so good but he like Wilson or anyone else can not win games alone… This is where they separate the boys from the men.

    Can the Seahawks continue to put together a championship team through the draft while veteran players are waived for wanting to much money?

    I have a lot of confidence in Schneider and Carrol but is going to be tough… I think they still make the Superbowl for a third year and win it this time around but after this season if they dont draft right this year they are going to be in a world of hurt.

  6. He doesn’t know anybody that is happy with the money they are making? The lowest paid guy in the league gets $545k ands the average is like $2.5 mil. And they all feel that they are being taken advantage of. How incredibly sad, for us and for them.

  7. Come to INDY…PLEASE.

    This guy dominated the Pats O Line in the SB. (yes I get it, Pats dominated the rest of the game).

    Hard to see how any team is going to beat the Pats but having Bennett would make me feel like we at least had a PRAYER…

  8. I know I’m not happy with the amount of money I’m making. However, if I was making your salary, I’m 110% positive I would be extremely happy with that amount. Show some apprecaition you spoiled brat.

  9. Bennett will have a rude awakening in the real world if hes “not happy” making the kind of money he is making..quick outs, slants and HB swing passes can shred this defense.

    Go Pats

  10. “I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money that they’re making.”

    I’d be happy making several million dollars a year like he is. Especially since everyone else on that team has been rewarded with a nice contract except the QB.

    Seattle should think about moving on from this guy in a trade for picks deal. Their D is so good, I doubt he’ll be missed.

  11. Yeah, I understand the unhappiness. Most guys with a 95 IQ and a bad attitude are making way more than 8 mil. What an out of touch idiot.

  12. Now where did they dig up this rumor? Oh yeah, their major pipeline happens to be Bennett’s agent. Don’t suppose that put any kind of spin on the story…

  13. Here comes the storm they need to survive to get back and win the Super Bowl. There’s a reason the Super Bowl loser has only ever made it back the following year and won twice in the early 70s. It’s nearly impossible to win the Super Bowl when a team is great, everyone is happy and things are going well. After a Super Bowl loss the cards get stacked against a team.

  14. Actual comments from the Seahawks Super Bowl winning season when PFT ranked them 4th:

    scrapingthefloorioforstorios says:
    Jul 23, 2013 9:04 AM

    overrated. the bandwagon sure is full right now, though.
    *********
    jiveturkeygobbler says:
    Jul 23, 2013 9:06 AM

    7-9
    ***************
    swaggyy says:
    Jul 23, 2013 9:42 AM

    Russell Wilson s impossible to figure out running wise. Most of his run are just scrambles. He’s a pocket pass first QB. Watch tape and learn something people. He’s not like Kaep at all running wise.
    *****************
    trackman12 says:
    Jul 23, 2013 12:01 PM

    The Seahawks will be the NFL’s most overrated team this year.
    ****************
    newcomer2013 says:
    Jul 23, 2013 6:58 PM

    Color me skeptical and I will be the first to eat crow if I am wrong but Wilson and the Seahawks will take a big step back this year.
    *************

    In other words…the Seahawks don’t much care what any of you think. They just go out there and win. Bennett. No Bennett. Doesn’t matter. They will find a way.

  15. must be tough making millions to only work 16 days out of the year, tough times indeed.

    sorry little michael bennet jr, you’ll have to settle for the BMW this year.

  16. Relax everybody. Haven’t we seen this historically for as long as we’ve been loving this sport? (47 years) No need to panic. In Pete and John I trust!!

  17. The Seahawks are 42-14 since Russell Wilson became the starter as a rookie with one Super Bowl championship and 2 Super Bowl appearances. They get 19 guys back from IR, second most in the league, including DL’s Brandon Mebane, Jordan Hill, Cassius Marsh and Jessie Williams, and they just added the best pass catching TE in the NFL. And, they have $44 million in cap space for 2016 and 11 draft picks this year.

    I just don’t see the winning trend dissipating anytime soon.

  18. blitzinc43 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 8:20 AM
    As a close friend of the organization I would just like to say that it is very important to keep this guy happy. He has now emerged as a leader and if you want to keep what you have going, keep the leaders happy. Unless it is very unreasonable, but in Bennett’s case, it is not.
    ______________________________________
    A hardcore fan is not a close friend of the organization. Delusional.

  19. I always thought Bennet signed that cheap deal because he Was going to play 50-60% of snaps, that wasn’t the case last year.
    Bennet has a point and i have to say he is underpaid for a DE with that kind of talent.

  20. quick outs, slants and HB swing passes can shred this defense.

    Go Pats

    ————————————————

    Or how about losing your nickel CB and starting to swing your starting CB inside and leave a 2nd year CB playing injured on the outside? That’s when things started to open up. It was a perfect storm when Cliff Avril got concussed yet the only reason Seattle lost in the end was a bad play call at the 1 yard line.

    Love to see Pats fans in for an awakening when they actually have to fight for the division for the 1st time in a decade.

  21. Meh.

    Bennet already knows the system and knows the guys he’ll be playing with. Sitting out the voluntary workouts just gives him more time to rest up a little longer before the real season and gives some of the younger guys a few more reps.

  22. Everything was sunny and happy coming off of a super bowl win.

    Then they lose, he sees Lynch get big money, the team trades for Graham’s big money contract and there’s talk of how much Wilson will be getting soon.

    Suddenly it doesn’t feel so great to take a home team pay cut.

    The Seahawks are making the mistake of splurging on some players, doesn’t feel so good to guys who were “loyal.” Especially when that money is going to an outside guy like Graham.

  23. seahawkboymike says:
    Apr 21, 2015 10:20 AM

    …And, they have $44 million in cap space for 2016 and 11 draft picks this year.
    =====================================

    WRONG! Cap space is $11mil, not $44mil.

  24. This is why the Seahawks will never be a dynasty. Every day is a soap opera. Things a great when things are going good…. But once somebody’s feelings get hurt… It’s a circus

  25. I love when people say seattle lost because bennett got hurt. The reality is if half the starting defense of the broncos had played in the sb (they were injured before the game started) there most likely wouldnt be a sb win for seattle to begin with. The defense was horrible that game. I wonder where seattle would be without sherman, bennett, chanclor, wagner, wright? Anyone want to say they could do it without them? No? Smart crowd

  26. hilarious comments about cap space for 2016…clearly showing you know nothing about the cap…for instance you don’t even have a starting QB on the books for ’16 yet. Many other examples of why that stat is useless.

    SMH

  27. thebirdofprey2 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 10:39 AM
    quick outs, slants and HB swing passes can shred this defense.

    Go Pats

    ————————————————

    Or how about losing your nickel CB and starting to swing your starting CB inside and leave a 2nd year CB playing injured on the outside? That’s when things started to open up. It was a perfect storm when Cliff Avril got concussed yet the only reason Seattle lost in the end was a bad play call at the 1 yard line.

    Love to see Pats fans in for an awakening when they actually have to fight for the division for the 1st time in a decade.

    —————————————–

    Actually, Seattle lost because their D gave up more points than did the Pats D. As for the “bad call” at the 1 yard line, the Pats D stepped up and made an outstanding play. If it were the Seahawks D that made the play you would be touting the Seahawks D…..not calling it a bad play. And let’s be honest, the Seahawks were only at the 1 yard line because of one of the luckiest catches in NFL history. Looks to me like their luck simply ran out.

  28. Hilarious comments from a Colts fan, whose team has yet to pay their QB and has only $37 million in cap space for 2016.

  29. As a Patriots fan, I can say with fair certainty that he was a force in the Super Bowl. He wore out a bit in the 4th quarter but the Pats threw 50 times.

  30. Bennett missing voluntary practice to show his displeasure in his current salary? Okay; that may be the case. Not a big deal and one that happens to every team who has good players who are paid less than the player views his current market value. Often players, in reverse, are told they have to take a pay cut or be cut…..That is the business they have chosen. Don’t begrudge a player from making a stand as long as once the real season gets started, the player is ready physically and mentally ready and understands that the business side of that is over and football begins.

  31. Bennett may have been the best player on the field for the Seahawks in the SBowl, the Pats couldn’t block him.

    Truly never seen such a bunch of excuse makers as Seahawks fans. Guess that happens with FB novices.

  32. fetts81 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 11:18 AM
    This is why the Seahawks will never be a dynasty. Every day is a soap opera. Things a great when things are going good…. But once somebody’s feelings get hurt… It’s a circus
    ______________
    How’s that different from any other franchise that’s had success? The list is long of players perceiving to be slighted, in one way or another, when teams are successful. Many players feel they’re under paid when one or two guys, and not always from the same team, get a newer/better contract.

    You’re acting as if this has never happened to any team, save for the Seahawks.

  33. realnflfacts says:
    Apr 21, 2015 11:38 AM
    I love when people say seattle lost because bennett got hurt. The reality is if half the starting defense of the broncos had played in the sb (they were injured before the game started) there most likely wouldnt be a sb win for seattle to begin with. The defense was horrible that game. I wonder where seattle would be without sherman, bennett, chanclor, wagner, wright? Anyone want to say they could do it without them? No? Smart crowd
    ____________
    The way Seattle played, in all three phases of the game, against the Bronco’s in that Super Bowl, I’m not certain another team would have beaten them. Don’t forget, Seattle’s offense put 27 points on the Bronco’s D. A defense that many said Seattle would have a hard time sustaining drives against.

    In that SB, Seattle probably played their best game of the year, save for maybe the NFCCG against S.F.

  34. audge86 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 10:56 AM

    Everything was sunny and happy coming off of a super bowl win.

    Then they lose, he sees Lynch get big money, the team trades for Graham’s big money contract and there’s talk of how much Wilson will be getting soon.

    Suddenly it doesn’t feel so great to take a home team pay cut.

    The Seahawks are making the mistake of splurging on some players, doesn’t feel so good to guys who were “loyal.” Especially when that money is going to an outside guy like Graham.
    _____________________________________________

    There is truth to this, I doubt any seattle player has a problem with Lynch getting his pay day, but the graham contract probably has them second guessing their GM. Pete is supposed to be a player friendly coach and works closely with the GM as well. If the players who got them where they are can’t get paid(see Wilson). How do they justify bringing in a guy who doesn’t really fit the seattle way of life and pay him more than Bennett, Kam, Earl, Maxwell, Wright, Wagner, Baldwin, or Wilson? Seattle is going to have to get rid of at least one big contract player if they plan on doing the right thing and paying wilson. The only other option is to trade wilson for a top draft pick and replace him on the 30th.

  35. blitzinc43 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 8:20 AM

    As a close friend of the organization I would just like to say that it is very important to keep this guy happy.

    blitzinc43 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 8:19 AM

    As a close friend of the organization I would just like to say one thing.

    blitzinc43 says:
    Apr 21, 2015 8:15 AM

    As a close friend of the organization I would like to make a few key points:
    ——————–

    Go away, clown. Your nonsense won’t play here.

  36. The entitlement mentality is alive and healthy in the NFL. Since guys don’t honor the contacts they sign (you’re 1/4 the way through it, dude)- why not make the contracts entirely performance based? X amount per sack, INT, forced fumble, tackle, etc. Then there will be no whining about outplaying your contracts. It’d make the salary cap harder to manage, but then the team would get some deserved discounts for guys that underperform too, and then they can bench those duds and not worry about carrying a huge salary in the meantime.

  37. Can’t blame a guy for wanting more money, but there is a time and place for everything and this is not the time for Bennett.

    Waiting for next year after playing to his potentials could result in a great extension for him.

    Hold outs are never popular with anybody, also any player holding out for more money not considering the total financial impact on the rest of the team might not be very popular when he starts playing.

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