Seahawks re-sign Michael Bennett with 4-year deal

Jan 30, 2014; Jersey City, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett (72) at a press conference at The Westin in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After all the talk about Martellus Bennett trying to convince his brother to join him in Chicago and constant reminders about how there is no hometown discount in the real world, Michael Bennett has re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. The deal, which is worth $28.5 million over the next four years, appears to be the price for retaining the highly sought after defensive end. It is noteworthy to mention that Bennett was offered more money by other teams but in the end decided to stick with the Seahawks. There may not be a hometown discount in the real world but apparently there is something enticing enough to keep Bennett in Seattle. Possibly the opportunity to win more championships.

Now that the Seahawks have locked down Bennett before the start of free agency they can focus their attention to other important players looking for a new deal. Golden Tate is the first who comes to mind. There is already some buzz around the league from several teams interested in bringing Tate on board so it will be crucial to get things done quickly if the Seahawks want to keep him around.

Another important free agent for Seattle is kicker Steven Hauschka. While some people may believe NFL kickers are expendable, a player of Hauschka’s ability can be rare and locking him down for the next several years could be a good idea.

No matter who Seattle’s signs next they can at least say they were able to hold on to one of the premier players in free agency this season in Bennett. This could be the first big step in an attempt to repeat as champs next season.