Michael Bennett may have been one of the Seahawks' best players but he had become more trouble than he was worth, according to TheMMQB.com's Albert Breer, who writes that three offensive coaches described the defensive end as not being the player he once was and one who "picked his spots more than he had in the past."

Oh, and there's this: "He was also a pain in the a-- for the Seattle coaches," Breer added.

On Wednesday, the Seahawks shipped Bennett and a seventh-round pick to the Eagles for a fifth-rounder and wide receiver Marcus Johnson. Clearly Philadelphia, which reportedly did its homework on Bennett ahead of the trade, wasn't deterred and has since made its defense even better.

At least two other teams were interested in Bennett's services: The Falcons and the Patriots. Atlanta was willing to part with a late-round pick, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, while New England offered a third-rounder. Put another way: Teams are willing to put up with a lot from a player who produces. Not only that, the Patriots have a long history of taking fliers on guys categorized as having too much baggage, fairly or not. And in general, they've had a lot of success with that strategy, going back to Corey Dillon and Randy Moss up through LeGarrette Blount.

For the Seahawks, a team that appears to be in the process of dismantling the Legion of Boom, Bennett was no longer considered a cornerstone of their defense. The same holds for Richard Sherman, who could be traded or released, and possibly even Earl Thomas.

But for the Eagles (and the Falcons and Patriots), Bennett has plenty of upside, little risk, and he immediately upgrades a defensive line that was already among the league's best.