Report: Michael Bennett Traded to Eagles for Marcus Johnson, Draft Pick Upgrade

After taking a hometown discount to stay in Seattle, defensive lineman Michael Bennett is headed to Philadelphia. The Eagles agreed to send a fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson to the Seahawks in exchange for Bennett and a seventh-round pick Wednesday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news. 

Bennett reacted to the move on Twitter:

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on how the deal went down:

Bennett, 32, played the last five seasons in Seattle, where he emerged as one of football's best all-around defensive ends.

His departure from the Seahawks isn't much of a surprise. He recorded 40 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2017, a bounce-back year from his injury-plagued 2016. The Seahawks also only owed him $1.65 million in base salary for next season but were on the hook for a $4 million roster bonus, per Spotrac. 

Bennett saw the writing on the wall, telling the News Tribune's Gregg Bell in December that he did not expect to return. 

"I probably won't be back next year," Bennett said. "Just seems like it's a young man's game. I can see them going younger, with younger players. That's part of the game."

Given his ability to move inside and play defensive tackle, Bennett was arguably one of the best values in football. That will likely change soon, as the Eagles may be tasked with giving him a new deal. Rather than his production being above cost, it'll now become the expectation going forward.

As it stands, the Super Bowl champs are getting one of the league's best defensive ends while forcing Seattle to incur a steep expense. The Seahawks will essentially be paying a $5.2 million dead-cap charge for a fifth-round pick and a one-time undrafted free agent with five career catches to his name.