PFT Bennet to sign with Bears....

[themunn]

Chicago....30th ranked defense.
Enjoy that extra million in defensive obscurity.

and a year ago they were one of the best - maybe just maybe they are trying to do something about it? Their offense doesn't really need any work, so they can afford to invest significant capital - cap and draft - to their defense in the pursuit of strengthening.

I'm interested to see what we do about a replacement, but the 8m in cap space that we won't be investing in Bennett over 4-5 years will now go a long way to securing a long term deal for ET

 

[JMR]

We'll see what happens here tomorrow...this wouldn't be the first erroneous report of free agency if untrue.

Can't blame players for chasing the money, especially after already having the ring nailed down. This will work to our advantage as well with vets like Jared Allen who've been paid plenty but need the ring. It'll be ok.

 

[Scottemojo]

Buncha jilted lovers around here.

Thanks for a good year, Mr Bennett. May our next "escort" be even hotter.

 

[Throwdown]

Peace!

But plz no Jared Allen, plz god no

 

[Scottemojo]

Peace!

But plz no Jared Allen, plz god no

Shush.

 

[Exittium]

"Shrug" Im not all heart broken.. I ever really heard his name except for on the FF him and Avril would tag team in on that he'd run back for TDs.. So no loss for us, next man up. Have fun chasing dollar signs. Cool now when M.Rob does a RRR we don't have to hear Bennett whine about money every interview. I still try and find it weird why people are thinking MB is "the one" .. Avril's stats we're right on par with MB's and Avril's been more consistent, the only drop off seen was when he came here, I'm assuming its more due to the design of our defense and rotation. career wise, Avril's overall stats by 1 year is still better then Bennett's.

Bennett:
2013 Comb: 31 FF: 1 Sacks: 8.5
Career Comb:121 FF: 5 Sacks: 23.5

Avril:
2013 Comb: 20 FF: 5 Sacks: 8.0
Career Comb: 188 FF: 21 Sacks: 47.5

Mind you Avril only has 1 more yr of experience then Bennett to.

 

[monkey]

I'll believe it when it's signed.

This the the real first test of the Win Forever philosophy. In order to do that, you have to reload with players. I heard it last year, just as I've heard it this year. The notion that this team is so stacked, we should trade quantity for quality draft picks isn't true. Seattle needs volume of picks. Because if we are going to put together the program that the theory prescribes, then we are really looking at 3-4 similar Michael Bennett defections each year going forward.

Wright.
Wagner.
Maxwell.
Avril.
Tate.
Baldwin.
Lynch.

All these guys will have to be replaced and soon. Some already have contingency plans. But realistically, Seattle has to view any 2015 UFA as a position of need. If Bennett walks, we're reloading from within. But we have to continue to add players there. Not all are going to stick. So volume of picks is necessary.

Ultimately, I would imagine that if the offseason transitions go according to design, Seattle should be getting 2 to 3 comp picks each year, with a couple in the 3-6 round range. Losing UFAs and turning to guys we already have on the roster waiting their turn. 3-4 year turnover on most positions. That kind of thing.

I think you're right in principle, that is exactly what we'll need to do. I think you're way off on Bobby Wagner though, he'll get locked up long term, mark it down! He's absolutely a cornerstone piece.

 

[brimsalabim]

IMHO -in order to keep this train rolling we need to find the next man up who needs to prove himself instead of plugging holes with expensive free agents.

I appreciate what Bennett did on the field for us but he was only a part of a total team effort.
Bennett is the only hawk I've seen interviewed that didn't praise his teammates. Instead he would talk about how he needed to get his. He left no doubt that money was his single motivating factor. Even if we can retain him I would worry about how he might play with out that need to motivate him. He will have his contract and his cash all squared away.

 

[drdiags]

Peace!

But plz no Jared Allen, plz god no

Count me in on this wagon. Let the Raiders pay the man.

 

[-The Glove-]

"Shrug" Im not all heart broken.. I ever really heard his name except for on the FF him and Avril would tag team in on that he'd run back for TDs.. So no loss for us, next man up. Have fun chasing dollar signs. Cool now when M.Rob does a RRR we don't have to hear Bennett whine about money every interview. I still try and find it weird why people are thinking MB is "the one" .. Avril's stats we're right on par with MB's and Avril's been more consistent, the only drop off seen was when he came here, I'm assuming its more due to the design of our defense and rotation. career wise, Avril's overall stats by 1 year is still better then Bennett's.

Bennett:
2013 Comb: 31 FF: 1 Sacks: 8.5
Career Comb:121 FF: 5 Sacks: 23.5

Avril:
2013 Comb: 20 FF: 5 Sacks: 8.0
Career Comb: 188 FF: 21 Sacks: 47.5

Mind you Avril only has 1 more yr of experience then Bennett to.

Could be because Bennett plays on the outside and inside. He may not get there every time but he was our most disruptive pass rusher. Also, I don't ever recall anybody complaining about Bennett disappearing in the middle of the season like some were complaining about Avril. They're both great pass rushers in their own right, but I'll take MB any day of the week.

 

[pmedic920]

Hate to loose Bennett, I'm still holding on to a glimmer of hope he'll resign with us, if not I wish him the best.
On a side note: I think the bears are significantly better than most here are giving them credit for.
Time will tell.

 

[getnasty]

Losing Bennett hurts and anybody who downplays it is dead wrong. Hopefully we can find someone on the cheap that can come close to filling his shoes. Can't blame the guy for wanting to play with his brother, I'd take less money on worse team to play with family.

 

[volsunghawk]

I'm sorry, but this stinks no matter how one tries to spin it.

It does stink for the most part if the reports are accurate. I've gone on record saying that I felt that signing Bennett was our top priority this offseason, and if he's gone, that's a huge bummer. His versatility helped us immensely last season, and I think a lot of people here are mistaken when they suggest that he can be easily replaced (especially when they cite sacks as some evidence that he wasn't all that... talk about short-sighted and reductive).

Now, that's not to say that I think the defense is going to collapse without Bennett this coming season. Far from it. But I don't think our pass rush will be on par with what it was last year, even if we get a guy like Allen. We need someone who can bring pressure on the interior, and unless Scruggs can step it up, I don't know that we've really got anyone like that.

Now, with that said, the one way this doesn't stink (sorry, Blitzer) is that avoiding a high-dollar, long-term commitment to Bennett opens up some cap room that we might have expected to be gone. It could accelerate the extension for Thomas.

 

[McG]

A lot of people are comparing Bennett to Avril or they are talking about how amazing he was. Flat out, this guy was on a contract year. If anyone thinks that he will be as effective as he was this year next year, or any of the years after this last one, they are crazy. Don't get me wrong he is a very good player, but flat out he showed how much he was about the money with the whole "Costco" comment on NFLN. I have been hoping he would leave since I saw him on there. He wants way too much money, money that can be spent on resigning the players on the team that are actually leaders. Thanks for the one year and the Super Bowl victory, enjoy the money.

 

[oasis]

Instead he would talk about how he needed to get his. He left no doubt that money was his single motivating factor. Even if we can retain him I would worry about how he might play with out that need to motivate him. He will have his contract and his cash all squared away.

This.

 

[dontbelikethat]

"Shrug" Im not all heart broken.. I ever really heard his name except for on the FF him and Avril would tag team in on that he'd run back for TDs.. So no loss for us, next man up. Have fun chasing dollar signs. Cool now when M.Rob does a RRR we don't have to hear Bennett whine about money every interview. I still try and find it weird why people are thinking MB is "the one" .. Avril's stats we're right on par with MB's and Avril's been more consistent, the only drop off seen was when he came here, I'm assuming its more due to the design of our defense and rotation. career wise, Avril's overall stats by 1 year is still better then Bennett's.

Bennett:
2013 Comb: 31 FF: 1 Sacks: 8.5
Career Comb:121 FF: 5 Sacks: 23.5

Avril:
2013 Comb: 20 FF: 5 Sacks: 8.0
Career Comb: 188 FF: 21 Sacks: 47.5

Mind you Avril only has 1 more yr of experience then Bennett to.

Could be because Bennett plays on the outside and inside. He may not get there every time but he was our most disruptive pass rusher. Also, I don't ever recall anybody complaining about Bennett disappearing in the middle of the season like some were complaining about Avril. They're both great pass rushers in their own right, but I'll take MB any day of the week.

True for everything, and also, Bennett was on another level during the beginning and middle of the season while Avril was putting in work at the end and in the playoffs. Both were amazing in their own right. No need to discredit one guy now just to up another or sour grapes. I remember that thread during the season where they asked Avril or Bennett? The vote was like 90%+ Bennett...

He will be missed, but I'm glad we at least have Avril & Clem to reduce the hit. That 8-10m in cap savings will also help with another quality player.

 

[bigtrain21]

Bennett is on NFL AM right now with his brother.

 

[onanygivensunday]

We got a bargain for what Bennett did for us last year.

The man played on one-year contracts for the past two years.

He deserves his money.

 

[truehawksfan]

I'm watching NFL AM. Brothers Bennett are on and MB said he'll make a decision soon, so no doubt there's a lot of back channel conversations going on. He looked very happy tho, so, IMO, his agent is working on the details -- most likely the length of the contract and guarantee money.

MB said last year he felt slighted by not getting the big contract, so going to the Hawks was the best option because he knew this team was on the rise and he would be in position to succeed.

He was right on both fronts.

The Everson Griffin signing has set the bar so MB's gotta be happy. Good luck in Chi Town.

MB is gone.

 

[-The Glove-]

"Shrug" Im not all heart broken.. I ever really heard his name except for on the FF him and Avril would tag team in on that he'd run back for TDs.. So no loss for us, next man up. Have fun chasing dollar signs. Cool now when M.Rob does a RRR we don't have to hear Bennett whine about money every interview. I still try and find it weird why people are thinking MB is "the one" .. Avril's stats we're right on par with MB's and Avril's been more consistent, the only drop off seen was when he came here, I'm assuming its more due to the design of our defense and rotation. career wise, Avril's overall stats by 1 year is still better then Bennett's.

Bennett:
2013 Comb: 31 FF: 1 Sacks: 8.5
Career Comb:121 FF: 5 Sacks: 23.5

Avril:
2013 Comb: 20 FF: 5 Sacks: 8.0
Career Comb: 188 FF: 21 Sacks: 47.5

Mind you Avril only has 1 more yr of experience then Bennett to.

Could be because Bennett plays on the outside and inside. He may not get there every time but he was our most disruptive pass rusher. Also, I don't ever recall anybody complaining about Bennett disappearing in the middle of the season like some were complaining about Avril. They're both great pass rushers in their own right, but I'll take MB any day of the week.

True for everything, and also, Bennett was on another level during the beginning and middle of the season while Avril was putting in work at the end and in the playoffs. Both were amazing in their own right. No need to discredit one guy now just to up another or sour grapes. I remember that thread during the season where they asked Avril or Bennett? The vote was like 90%+ Bennett...

He will be missed, but I'm glad we at least have Avril & Clem to reduce the hit. That 8-10m in cap savings will also help with another quality player.

Exactly...don't know why some fans feel the need to discredit the guy now. For what it's worth, until he signs with another team, he is still a Seahawks