That didn't take long. A few hours after taking his first free-agent visit with the Miami Dolphins, defensive end Michael Bennett has a new NFL home.
The twist is that Bennett will be shopping for a new residence as far from South Beach as possible. NFL.com's Albert Breer reported Thursday that Bennett has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks on a one-year, $5 million contract, pending a physical, according to a team source. ProFootballTalk first reported the deal.
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Having already scooped up Cliff Avril, the Seahawks appear to be cornering the market on undervalued young pass rushers. Both defensive ends were expected to land richer contracts. Rather than waiting around to see if the offers improved, they opted to take firm money from the Seahawks in the short term for a chance to hit the market again in the near future.
Bennett is returning to the team that first signed him as an undrafted free-agent out of Texas A&M in 2009. This time, it's as a proven starter who's capable of harassing quarterbacks as well as stuffing the run.
While Avril likely is ticketed for the "elephant" pass-rusher role in coach Pete Carroll's defense as Chris Clemons recovers from surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the bigger Bennett offers versatility to play on the edge or the interior.
Seattle's defense shouldn't miss a beat after allowing an NFL-low 15.3 points per game last season. Throw in an improved offense featuring new playmaker Percy Harvin, and this could be the team to beat in the NFC in 2013.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
