Michael Bennett fears middle men being priced out with Seahawks deals

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Thursday, August 6, 2015

The Seahawks rewarded two of their stars with new contracts in recent weeks, but defensive end Michael Bennett fears Seattle's middle men might eventually be casualties of the spending spree.

The Seahawks resolved contract disputes with quarterback Russell Wilson(four-year, $87.6 million deal) and linebacker Bobby Wagner(four-year, $43 million deal), signing both to multiyear extensions.

Safety Kam Chancellorcontinues to hold out from training camp due to unhappiness with his current deal, which he signed in 2013 and is scheduled to pay him $4,550,000 in base salary this season. Bennett, also seeking a new contract after signing a four-year deal last year that is scheduled to pay him $6 million this season, showed up to camp but doesn't sound like a player expecting the Seahawks to give him a new deal.

Chancellor's holdout, which reached a sixth day Wednesday, could potentially bleed into the regular season if the sides can't reach a middle ground, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

"They can't pay everybody, but they do pay people," Bennett told Yahoo! Sports. "They pay certain people a lot of money, and other guys feel like they should be paid just as much as those guys because everybody contributes to the Super Bowls and the championships."

Starting defensive tackle Tony McDaniel was released last Sunday in a salary cap move, and Bennett said his loss shouldn't be understated.

"That's what people don't understand, people talk about Tony McDaniels like, 'Oh, he's just another guy,' but think about, how does a Bobby Wagner make those tackles? These are the workers," he told Yahoo!

"It's like the clothing line," he continued. "You see the people who own the clothing line, but you don't see the people who work and make the clothes. The middle man is always needed for success in this league."

Coach Pete Carroll said Chancellor's absence is an issue of concern for both sides. Carroll said he has not had any communication with Chancellor in a few days.

"Here, we have to keep moving, and he knows that's what we are called to do and so we're going to do that," Carroll said. "But it's a very difficult time for him I think."

In addition to the $30,000 a day the team can fine him for his holdout, the Seahawks can now seek a percentage of Chancellor's prorated signing bonus. His daily fines have reached $180,000 with an additional $150,000 kicking in for his sixth day missed.

Bennett told Yahoo! that he'll continue to play hard despite his desire for a better deal and that he's happy for any of the Seahawks players who get new contracts. But he worries that the Seahawks' roster might look much different in coming seasons.

"I do worry about that, because depth is what got us to where we were, and that's what made us win championships," Bennett told Yahoo!. "Everything has a shelf life, and we understand that, so we have to make the most of our opportunities while we're playing now."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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