Seattle Seahawks top 5 free agent signings since 2010

Number one: Michael Bennett, 2013

OK, maybe Michael Bennett doesn’t have the resume that Bobby Wagner has but as far as defensive ends for the Seahawks between 2013 and 2017 he was the Wagner to Avril’s Wright. But make no mistake that Bennett was an absolute beast of a player in a Seattle uniform and one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.

Between 2015 and 2017 Bennett made the Pro Bowl each year and averaged 8 sacks a year in his Seattle seasons between 2013 and 2017. Seattle would not have gone to back-to-back Super Bowls without Bennett and Bennett made the entire defense better.

Bennett had a versatility that most interior linemen don’t have. He could line up at defensive tackle or end and be nearly equally as effective. Remember that Bennett came into the league as an undrafted player who used his intelligence and quickness to beat opposing players and that intelligence is what made him great.

Bennett will be remembered for many things during his time in Seattle. He will be remembered as one of the first Seattle players to take a seat on the bench during the national anthem and will be remembered for being an outspoken guy in the locker room. But he should also be remembered as not being one of the players that made the locker room stressful as he did not speak badly of teammates, including Russell Wilson.

Michael Bennett was a fun player to watch and played with emotion. Bennett also famously rode a bike on the field after Seattle came from behind to beat the Packers in the NFC Championship game in 2014. Most importantly, Seattle was a better football team with Michael Bennett than without him.