Could Martellus Bennett be headed to Seattle?

Chicago tight end Martellus Bennett is in Seattle, fueling rumors that the Seahawks could trade for Michael Bennett’s brother.

The Chicago Bears would love to unload tight end Martellus Bennett’s salary. With the emergence of Zach Miller (no, not THAT Zach Miller) last season, there is no reason to keep the high-priced Bennett. If they cannot find a trade partner, than it is possible that Bennett will be released.

A trade would make sense for Seattle too. Jimmy Graham tore his patellar tendon last year, and his status for the 2016 season is dicey at best. Luke Willson is the only other TE on the roster, and he is more suited to be the No. 2 guy at the position than a starter.

The problem then becomes the financials. Committing over $15 million to the TE position isn’t a great way to put together a roster. The Seahawks would be better off using that money to fix their leaky offensive line.

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Graham is set to count $9 million against the cap, but is unlikely to play until mid season. There is also no guarenteed money left on his contract, and no dead money either. The Seahawks could cut him loose with financial no side effects.

Bennett’s cap number would be $5.085 million if acquired by Seattle in a trade. The Seahawks could end up with a healthier player and still save $4 million in cap space they could use elsewhere on the roster.

The drawback here is that Bennett will be 29 next season, and is set to be a free agent after that. Unless the Seahawks sign him to an extension, they’d be trading away a draft pick for a one-year rental.

This entire scenario depends on what compensation the Bears want in return. Bennett is a good player, but his contract will make him hard to get good value in return. If the Seahawks believe that Bennett might be released soon, then they’ll wait until he can be acquired without giving up a draft pick.

Of course, making this move wouldn’t just be about the TEs involved. There’s another factor for Seattle that cannot be discounted: Martellus is Michael Bennett’s brother, and Michael is unhappy with his contract.

This is an issue that we’ve talked about recently. Seattle probably cannot re-work Michael’s contract without it causing major issues. If bringing in Martellus would keep Michael happy for another year, then they’d be able to re-work Michael’s contract then when there is only one year remaining.

All of these rumors coincide with Martellus flying in to Seattle (presumably to see his brother).

Perhaps nothing will come from this, or perhaps a we could see Seattle make their first significant acquisition of the offseason.