The Seattle Seahawks are looking to sign Russell Wilson to a contract extension this year and as the offseason program begins the two sides are continuing to talk and this comes as Michael Bennett has been absent from team workouts and he could be a trade target if he pulls a contract holdout ahead of the NFL draft.
Wilson is coming into the final year of his deal and since he was not a first round pick, he does not have a fifth year contract option. Wilson is in line to get a new deal and according to ESPN.com, the two sides have started talks this offseason about a new contract. Ian Rapoport reported that the team may consider making the deal 75 percent guaranteed to help with the salary cap. Wilson could end up getting paid like one of the top players in the league based on his early success.
Wilson led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances and one victory and he has been in the playoffs in all three years in the league. According to Pro Football Talk, general manager John Schneider said that the team will be "cautious" when it comes to Wilson and his contract negotiations. The team has been fortunate that their star quarterback has cost so little on the salary cap, but now that will change.
Rapoport writes that Wilson is an option to get his contract guaranteed more than most players, as he has been successful and injury free over three seasons. The Seahawks would like to keep the cap number in check, as they just signed Marshawn Lynch and brought in Jimmy Graham and they also have other key players to sign back over the next couple years. Schneider likely wants to keep the cap numbers in check over the next few years, as the Seahawks should be in the mix as contenders in the NFC West.
The offseason program is starting up and according to the Seattle Times, Michael Bennett is not present for the Seahawks as workouts begin. This comes after reports came out last month that Bennett wanted a new contract or a trade and now that could be coming to pass. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Bennett is not happy with his current contract and that he would like to renegotiate the deal. While a trade isn't a guarantee, after the reports last month there is a chance that it could happen.
Bennett was mentioned in connection with the Atlanta Falcons in those trade talks and they could be a potential destination. The Seahawks traded their first round pick for Graham, so they may want to stock up in the later rounds. ESPN writer Terry Blount picked out some names that the team could target in the draft, including Chris Conley, TJ Yeldon, Breshad Perriman and Justin Hardy.
The Seahawks may want to add some depth behind Lynch with a player like Yeldon or Duke Johnson, while the WR position also could be a target. The team got rid of Percy Harvin last season and with a deep class of receivers coming out, players like Breshad Perriman or Hardy could be targets along with Nelson Agholor.
