Seahawks’ Michael Bennett has harsh words for Sam Bradford
May 17, 2016, 12:23 PM
Michael Bennett said he had a physical reaction when he heard Sam Bradford's recent complaints. (AP)
(AP)
We already knew Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett doesn’t like quarterbacks, especially Eagles’ starter Sam Bradford. But Bennett told “Brock and Salk” Tuesday that Bradford’s most recent contract shenanigans gave him a physical reaction.
“I listened to Sam Bradford again and I just almost threw up,” Bennett said. “I was like, I can’t believe Sam Bradford is complaining about making ($35 million) in the next two years because he actually has to compete for a position.”
Related: Michael Bennett invokes Fifth Amendment on contract concerns
Bradford re-signed with Philadelphia this offseason for a lucrative deal, only to see the Eagles spend $21 million on a backup, Chase Daniel, and trade up for the No. 2 pick to draft Carson Wentz. Bradford, who has a career 25-37-1 record, reportedly asked for a trade and planned to hold out but has since backed down.
Bennett, who has two years left on a contract that will pay him $5 million next season, said he wouldn’t want to play with a quarterback like Bradford.
“This guy right here definitely sets a bad tone for what a player should be,” he said. “If I was a teammate, I would have a hard for me to play with a guy who doesn’t want to compete at the high level and feels like his position should be solidified without even putting up the stats or the wins to back that up.”
When asked about which quarterbacks he does like, the list was pretty short.
“Sometimes I like Russell Wilson,” he said. “Maybe some retired ones. Warren Moon, I like Warren Moon.”
Other highlights from the conversation:
Bennett is working to get his hands faster this offseason: “My game is so improved that it’s crazy. I’ve been working on all the things that I thought I needed to fix and that’s all I’ve been doing every day is devoting my time to four or five hours just to fixing those things every day. I think it will be another great season for me and my team … That’s pretty much what I’ve been working on: How much quicker can I get at this age? The greatest thing is that I’ve devoted my time, chefs, right nutrition, not lifting too much weights, mostly doing swimming and boxing, things like that, things that you get great cardio without beating up your body.”
Criticisms for Cam Newton and the Panthers: “Everybody I talked to, they all seem to have the same goals. And I think last year really put into perspective, look, nobody wants Cam Newton in the Super Bowl. We want to be there more than him. That ball fell on the ground, we would have dove for that ball. We were really hungry to win the game. I know I wouldn’t have been shaking Peyton Manning’s hand with four minutes left in the game. We would have fought to the end. And I just wish we had that chance to get back out there and I think that’s our goal again is to make sure we are in Houston, Texas (for Super Bowl LI).”
On Seattle’s current defense not being at the same level as in 2014: “That group right there is a once in a lifetime group. It’s not very often that two guys like me and Cliff (Avril) fall into the laps of the Seahawks. That’s just unheard of. Chris Clemons, Red Bryant – if we would have kept that defense together for about three years, we’d have definitely won three in a row. Btu we’ve got a chance, we’ve got a lot of young guys. The difference between that time is that we had a lot of veterans.”
On former teammate Brandon Mebane saying San Diego’s defense has more talent than Seattle: “A lot of first-round picks that come in will go spoons in their mouths while the rest of us are eating off dirty plates, and I think that hunger is what drives this team to be successful, so that’s the difference between the two teams. They might have a lot of talent, but do they have the hunger that we have, do they have the heart, do they have the ambition that we have? A lot of times that’s what differentiates the two defenses.”
On some coaches having bigger egos than others: “A lot of times they can’t deal with who they are and where they come from and a lot of times it’s just difficult for coaches to understand their players. You think about Chip Kelly, he just couldn’t really deal with people having their own identity and people doing their own things. In college you can control that, in the NFL it’s hard to do that. Pete Carroll, I think, has figured it out: People are who they are.”
