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Many consider Seattle Seahawks DE Michael Bennett to be the top free agent this offseason, and for teams that need a boost in their pass rushing department, he was probably high on the wish list. After a historically bad defensive campaign in 2013, the Chicago Bears have already been tied to Bennett as a potential suitor, but it looks like Bennett may be locked up by his own team by the end of the day Monday.
Seattle is favorite to land DE Michael Bennett, who some regard as the top free agent available. Announcement could come as early as today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2014
UPDATE, PER IAN RAPOPORT:
Michael Bennett is re-signing with #Seahawks, per source. It’s a four-year deal (as PFT said). Should be a little more than $8M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2014
The Bears may end up turning their attention to Bengals DE Michael Johnson, seen by many as the next best pass rusher hitting the open market after Bennett.
General manager Phil Emery wants to get younger on defense, and is having to avoid an enormous salary cap hit by Julius Peppers' 2014 contract (nearly $14 million), and reports have already surfaced regarding the team contacting Johnson's agent in the last 24 hours.
Will Emery be able to grab whom he wants this offseason like he did in 2013, or will he have to turn his focus on the Draft?
Either way, one thing is for certain: Another defensive performance like last year is likely to cause the McCaskey family to get involved. Stay tuned.....