Michael Bennett: 'Workers, middle men' getting left out in Seattle
Michael Bennett wants a new contract and is worried about roster turnover in Seattle.
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1 min read
Despite signing a contract extension before last season, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett already believes that he deserves another deal. While Bennett isn't holding out like safety Kam Chancellor is, he's not going down without at least talking about his contract struggles.
Bennett has always had a knack for words, and he's back this time to describe the current situation of the Seahawks, who recently inked quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner to contract extensions, but released the lesser known Tony McDaniel, a defensive tackle, in a salary-cap-related move.
"That's what people don't understand, people talk about Tony McDaniel like, 'Oh, he's just another guy,' but think about, how does a Bobby Wagner make those tackles? These are the workers," Bennett told Yahoo Sports. "It's like the clothing line. You see the people who own the clothing line, but you don't see the people who work and make the clothes. The middle man is always needed for success in this league."
What Bennett appears to be worried about -- outside of his own individual contract situation -- is the depth of the team moving forward. The Seahawks, a team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls largely because of their insane depth on defense, could begin a thinning process as their previously underpaid stars line up for contract extensions. But as CBSSports.com's Joel Corry recently pointed out, the Seahawks still have the pieces to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender through 2017.
"I do worry about that, because depth is what got us to where we were, and that's what made us win championships," Bennett said. "Everything has a shelf life, and we understand that, so we have to make the most of our opportunities while we're playing now."
Bennett is currently playing under a $28.5 million contract that includes $16 million in guaranteed money. While Bennett is right in that the money total in his contract doesn't match his production and value on the field, the Seahawks are also correct to resist Bennett's contract desires, as he just signed a new deal last offseason and handing him a new contract this quickly could set a dangerous precedent for the team.
As for Chancellor, he signed his current contract back in 2013 and is scheduled to earn $4,550,000 in base salary this season. Chancellor has not yet reported for training camp as he holds out for a new deal.
