Michael Bennett: 'This isn't Costco'

boozeman

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Michael Bennett: 'This isn't Costco'


Updated: February 12, 2014, 2:47 PM ET

By Terry Blount | ESPN.com

Defensive end Michael Bennett, an unrestricted free agent, said he has no intention of granting a home-team discount to stay with the Seattle Seahawks.

"There is no such thing as discount," Bennett told NFL Network on Tuesday night. "This isn't Costco. This isn't Walmart. This is real life."

Bennett was Seattle's best defensive lineman in 2013 and helped lead the team to a Super Bowl victory. He signed a one-year contract worth $4.8 million last spring. He played his first four seasons with Tampa Bay after the Seahawks released him as an undrafted rookie in 2009.

But Bennett was everything and more the Seahawks hoped he'd be when they brought him back for last season. He had 8.5 sacks in the regular season along with one forced fumble and a fumble recovery he returned 22 yards for a touchdown.

Bennett said he can't give the Seahawks a discount because he gave them all he had on every play.

"There is no discount really because you go out there and you don't give a discount on effort," he said. "You go out there and you give the best effort every day and you fight for your teammates, and you want to be compensated for the way that you perform and the kind of teammate you are."

Bennett's comments are in contrast to those of receiver Golden Tate, the team's other high-profile free agent, who has said he'd be willing to take less money to stay with Seattle.

Bennett's versatility and quickness were major assets for Seattle. He played end and tackle in 2013 and had six tackles, a forced fumble, half a sack and a fumble recovery in the playoff game against New Orleans. He kept it up in the NFC Championship Game, posting a sack and returning a fumble 17 yards to the San Francisco 6-yard line.

"It's definitely a business," Bennett said of the NFL. "People hate to say it's that, but it is what it is. I would love to play for the Seahawks, but they're going to have to want me back and the numbers are going to have to be right."

The Seahawks have the option of placing a franchise tag on Bennett, but that would increase his salary to $12.6 million in 2014, so it seems unlikely the team would do that.

Bennett has been linked to a possible move to the Chicago Bears for two reasons -- the Bears need defensive line help, and Bennett's brother, Martellus Bennett, is the team's starting tight end. But Michael Bennett previously said his brother would not enter into his decision on where he plays next season.
 

Cotton

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He's right.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Bennett was basically a hired gun that Seattle got a huge bargain on. The whole point of doing that was so that he could cash in.

Golden Tate is a completely different situation.
 

boozeman

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All I can say is that if I ran a team, I'd avoid overpaying Seahawk players.

They were coached extremely well and were not exactly the most talented on the field at the time.
 

Cotton

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All I can say is that if I ran a team, I'd avoid overpaying Seahawk players.

They were coached extremely well and were not exactly the most talented on the field at the time.
So, you're saying Carroll deserves a raise?
 

UncleMilti

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Bennett is an idiot.

His numbers are good, but they aren't All-World.
 

boozeman

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Bennett is an idiot.

His numbers are good, but they aren't All-World.
The real idiot is the GM who hands a fat free agency contract to a guy who really needs to be in a rotation.
 
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Deuce

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Bennett is an idiot.

His numbers are good, but they aren't All-World.
Bennett has a really good season the year before for Tampa yet had to settle for his small contract with Seattle. I can't blame him for wanting to cash in when it didn't happen a year previously.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Bennett has a really good season the year before for Tampa yet had to settle for his small contract with Seattle. I can't blame him for wanting to cash in when it didn't happen a year previously.
My concern is that he put together two excellent seasons in contract years and seems to be looking for that big pay day. I could see him easily being a player that gets the fat check and suddenly you see his production drop off.
 
D

Deuce

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My concern is that he put together two excellent seasons in contract years and seems to be looking for that big pay day. I could see him easily being a player that gets the fat check and suddenly you see his production drop off.
Could, but he's only been a full time player for 3 years and 2 of those 3 have had nice production. I think we all assume he's just a greedy idiot because of his brother.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Could, but he's only been a full time player for 3 years and 2 of those 3 have had nice production. I think we all assume he's just a greedy idiot because of his brother.
I don't really think he is a greedy idiot. I just think he is a guy who went from undrafted free agent to productive player who has yet to get paid. It's created a lot of motivation for him to succeed. I'd just be slightly concerned that once he gets the big pay day that he will feel like he has reached the end of the rainbow as opposed to feeling like it is just the start of a journey.
 
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