Russell Wilson's contract is Seahawks' next salary cap challenge
PHOENIX — Michael Bennett had a more lucrative offer to leave the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent last March. But the standout defensive lineman chose to re-sign with the defending champions on a four-year, $28.5 million contract.
His logic was fairly simple.
"If you win, you'll get more money," Bennett said Wednesday. "If you're a champion, people love you more. You get more stuff. You get to hang out. You get to be on TV.
"You can make a lot of money and be on a terrible team, and people don't even recognize you."
The game is about to change for the Seahawks, who certainly wouldn't mind if more players followed Bennett's lead after Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle is preparing to pay dynamic quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason, locking up another piece of a young core that has dynasty potential.
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The rookie deal that paid Wilson all of $667,859 in 2014 is set to expire after next season. The Seahawks want to extend him before then. And general manager John Schneider acknowledged this week that's one reason tough roster decisions lie ahead.
"There's no way around it. To a certain degree, (paying the QB changes things), yeah," Schneider said. "But if you draft well and your coaching staff's willing to play young players, you should be able to compensate for whatever his level of compensation's going to be."
Schneider's draft hits over the past five years have strongly outweighed his misses, which is why the Seahawks have so many young core players to pay in the first place. And Pete Carroll's staff has never been afraid to play young players, including Wilson, who beat out free agent addition Matt Flynn in 2012 even he was only a third-round pick that spring.
Since last year's Super Bowl rout of the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks have cut defensive linemen Chris Clemons and Red Bryant; lost receiver Golden Tate, cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald and tackle Breno Giacomini in free agency; traded receiver Percy Harvin; and put 15 players on injured reserve, including starting nose tackle Brandon Mebane and tight end Zach Miller.
Yet here they are, trying to become the NFL's first repeat champions since their opponent Sunday, the New England Patriots, did it a decade ago. Of the 22 players who started on offense or defense in the NFC Championship Game win over the Green Bay Packers, 14 are age 26 or under and just one (defensive tackle Kevin Williams) is over 30.
The Seahawks scouting staff is celebrating by doing the same thing it did last year in New York: spending Super Bowl week in draft meetings.
"It really never stops," Schneider said. "But it's awesome."
Schneider said he feels Seattle's salary cap is set up well under the watch of vice president of football administration Matt Thomas, even after they handed out more than $65 million in guarantees on megadeals for all-pro defensive backs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas last spring.
According to NFL Players Association records, the Seahawks' $92.7 million in committed cash for 2015 ranks 23rd among all teams, and their $116.7 million in committed cap space ranks 24th. They have about $4.8 million in unused 2014 cap space to carry over, pending adjustments.
Their most notable pending free agent this offseason is cornerback Byron Maxwell, who acknowledged Wednesday he has considered that the Super Bowl could be his last game in a Seattle uniform.
"Teams want winners, so they're going to come get us," Maxwell said. "But we'll see. I want to be here."
The Seahawks also want to re-sign all-pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who joins Wilson, Mebane, running back Marshawn Lynch, left tackle Russell Okung and linebacker Bruce Irvin on a distinguished list of players who could be free agents after the 2015 season.
"Honestly, I haven't thought about it," Wagner said. "If they want me here, they'll find a way."
Questions have swirled around Lynch's future since his short-lived training camp holdout. But Schneider said he "absolutely" envisions the running back being on the team in 2015, when Lynch is due $7 million in salary and roster bonuses, though none of it guaranteed.
Wilson dismissed a question about whether he's thought about taking less money or a contract structured to help keep the team together, as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did on a deal that is scheduled to pay him $27 million total over its three remaining seasons.
Wilson and Brady are at different stages of their careers, of course. Brady has made his money and can make a lot more in endorsements. (Marrying a supermodel doesn't hurt financial security either.)
Four quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Drew Brees — have contracts that average at least $20 million a season. And with two Super Bowl appearances already under his belt, Wilson's representatives figure to ask to join that club.
"I think Tom Brady's made more money than anybody in the NFL," Bennett said. "I think he's never took a pay cut. I was just on Yahoo! today, and they were talking about all the houses that he's had. I don't think he's ever had a house that was under $5 million."
Wilson will be able to afford one of those soon enough. Then it'll just be a matter of what else the Seahawks can afford.
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Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero
