The Seahawks on Wednesday traded veteran defensive end Michael Bennett to the Super Bowl champion Eagles, ESPN reported, citing unidentified sources.
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The Seattle Seahawks built a reputation over the years with their fearsome defense featuring the likes of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor in the secondary. Bennett was one of many Seahawks players who are very outspoken about social issues.
Bennett, who played college football at Texas A&M, was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Sherman, a seven-year veteran, has registered 367 combined tackles, 32 interceptions, 99 passes defensed, a sack, and five forced fumbles over his career. Bennett no longer being welcome in Seattle after five brilliant and successful seasons, for whatever reason, is a bonus for Philadelphia. During his time there, he racked up 185 combined tackles, 31 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Bennett has three years and $18 million remaining on his deal, but even still that’s not a huge cap blow to take on.
Bennett’s other new teammates are also pumped.
The Patriots have reportedly coveted a Sherman – Stephon Gilmore pairing at the cornerback positions as they inquired about his services last March, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bennett was also involved in a high-profile case of his own in Las Vegas in which he accused police of racially profiling him and using excessive force in an incident last summer after reports of a shooting at a casino. After rumblings last off-season that the Seahawks were looking to trade the former three-time All-Pro defensive back, it appears it’s actually happening this year. To his credit, he never missed a game, and turned in another Pro Bowl season in 2017.
Sherman is his own agent, representing himself entering the final year of his Seahawks contract.
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Trading Bennett clears around $2.2 million in 2018 cap space for the Seahawks, though he’ll carry about $5.2 million in dead money charges.
