Seahawks re-sign DE Michael Bennett for 4 yrs, $34M

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The Seahawks re-signed DE Michael Bennett for 4 yrs, $34M. Sigh. It is rumored that the Bears were offering more money, but Bennett chose to stay with the world champion Seahawks. This dilutes the already weak free agent market for pass rushers, leaving only Raiders DE Lamarr Houston (my 1st choice) and Bengals DE Michael Johnson as the only premier pass rushers on the market. There is a chance some last-minute cuts like Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware and Falcons Osi Umenyiora might add a few names of interest to the market, but Bennett was the Bears first choice and his last-minute resigning with the Seahawks definitely alters the Bears free agent strategy. If the Bears miss out on Houston and Johnson, it’s possible they keep Julius Peppers and his $18M cap hit for lack of better options.

Twitter: @MikeFlannery_