Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider doesn't seem like a man willing to be pushed around, as evidenced by his hardline stance in negotiating a new contract for quarterback Russell Wilson.
The All Pro, Super Bowl winning Wilson would seem to have quite a bit of leverage when it comes to determining the value on his next deal, but Schneider has consistently maintained that he won't give in and simply pay Wilson all that he wants, ostensibly destroying the Seahawks cap situation in the process and hindering the team from continually competing for the NFL crown.
So, if Schneider's not willing to bend to the wants of his star quarterback, he's certainly not going to acquiesce to the desires of a rotational defensive end like Michael Bennett.
"He's kinda sorta tried to say that he didn't really want to be dealt after all, but that's not flying anywhere. He and his agent have made it clear he'd rather not be back in Seattle and while the Seahawks aren't ones to back down, perhaps something emerges that makes sense for all parties prior to the start of the regular season," Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. "Kind of odd not to be so happy in a franchise that competes for a Lombardi Trophy, and until or unless the Seahawks put out explicit word that Bennett has permission to speak to other teams, I don't see any clubs nibbling in this era of hyper-sensitivity over tampering regulations. But there's a lot of time between now and September for something to perhaps change."
Bennett was rumored to both want out of Seattle and to be seeking a new deal earlier this offseason and had reportedly set his sights on the Atlanta Falcons as a new NFL home. The Falcons, of course, just so happen to now employ as head coach Bennett's former defensive coordinator in Seattle, Dan Quinn.
The 29-year-old Bennett is set to enter his eighth NFL season though, and isn't likely to garner much in the way of trade assets, especially when you consider the Falcons were able to land Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett in last week's NFL draft.
Bennett, a former undrafted free agent, finished 2014 for Seattle with seven sacks, 38 tackles and one forced fumble in the regular season and added nine tackles and two stuffs in the postseason.
Bennett is still a quality pass-rusher and he now carries the Super Bowl pedigree that comes with playing in the vaunted Seahawks program, but it's unlikely he'd bring back much in trade value.
As a rotational player on the Seattle defensive line, he likely offers Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll more as a talented - if disgruntled - defensive chess piece than he does as a trade chip.
