Cincinnati Bengals
Getty
The Cincinnati Bengals made a decision on Trey Hendrickson
The Seattle Seahawks have some cap space to make moves in defense of their Super Bowl title, and one big-name edge rusher could be in their sights.
The Seahawks have been named a top potential landing spot for Trey Hendrickson, the former Cincinnati Bengals star who didn’t find a new home on the first day of the legal tampering period of NFL free agency. One analyst believes the movement — and the rumors that Hendrickson may have a difficult time meeting his asking price — could be a good development for the Seahawks.
Seahawks Getting Leg Up in Trey Hendrickson Sweepstakes
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Hendrickson may be shrinking his market with his contract demands, as he aims to be paid in line with the league’s top edge rushers.
“Trey Hendrickson sees himself in the company of [Danielle Hunter and Jaelan Phillips],” Schefter said, via The Sporting News. “And so you would think there would be a corresponding contract in that vicinity.”
But if there’s not a team out there that’s willing to give you $40 or $30 million, sometimes it takes a player a little bit of time to understand how the market works like that and to accept that just because Danielle Hunter might get 40, you might not get 40. Just because Jaelan Phillips gets 30, doesn’t mean you get 30.
Schefter added that Hendrickson has been “talking to a bunch of teams,” but not yet found a team to meet his asking price.
“He wants to get his price and until he feels like he does, he’s not willing to going to compromise,” Schefter reported.
Dharya Sharma of The Sporting News suggested that the lack of progress could play into Seattle’s hands.
The news of Hendrickson’s market being lackluster is a fantastic development for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Chargers,” Sharma suggested. “All four teams have a need at edge rusher, and could end up landing Hendrickson for much cheaper than expected.”
Seahawks Lose Another Edge Rusher
The Seahawks have an opening in their edge-rushing group after the departure of Boye Mafe in free agency. He left to sign a three-year, $60 million deal with the Bengals — which could signify the team’s preparation to lose Hendrickson in free agency.
The Seahawks could have other options to fill Mafe’s place. This year’s NFL draft is considered deep for edge rushers, and the Seahawks showed some interest in Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell at the combine.
As Rob Rang of the team’s official website noted, Howell could be an asset for Seattle’s defense.
“Howell tied with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese (currently the odds-on-favorite to be the first defender drafted this year) for the fastest 10-yard split (1.58 seconds) at the Combine,” Rang wrote. “He was named an All-American after registering 11.5 sacks this season for the Aggies but began his college career at Bowling Green because recruiters didn’t think he was big enough to succeed in college. Should the NFL make the same mistake and allow Howell to slip to No. 32 overall, the Seahawks would seemingly be an ideal match.”