Having purged the assistant coaching staff, Pete Carroll and John Schneider embarked on the second phase of the Seahawks rebuilding project Wednesday by trading defensive end Michael Bennett to Philadelphia.
In return for an accomplished pass rusher who fought through a variety of injuries to start all 16 games this past season, along with a seven-round draft choice, the Hawks picked up a backup receiver and a fifth-round draft choice. The deal was less substantial than symbolic, a message that could be interpreted as: “We’re breaking this thing up.”
It’s fair to wonder if Carroll and Schneider are overreacting to the disappointment of missing the playoffs for the first time in six years.