Eagles Make Deal for Pro Bowl DL Michael Bennett

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Howie is going to Howie.

Somehow the NFL's reigning Executive of the Year Howie Roseman has added a versatile three-time Pro Bowl defensive linemen to what already was considered the best front in football and he pulled it off despite the fact that the Super Bowl champion Eagles are about $10 million over the salary cap as the NFL's new league year looms on March 14.

The Eagles acquired Michael Bennett in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, first reported by ESPN's Josina Anderson and then confirmed by an NFL source to 973espn.com.

Philadelphia sends a fifth-round draft pick to the Pacific Northwest, along with little-used wide receiver Marcus Johnson and will also be getting a seventh-round pick from the Seahawks, who are clearly in rebuild mode on what once was this generation's best defense.

Bennett was always a big part of that as a Brandon Graham-type player for Pete Carroll, somehow who played defensive end but often moved to the interior in obvious pass-rushing situations.

Bennett, who will turn 33 in November, has played nine seasons in the NFL and is coming off a year where he picked up 8 1/2 sacks and graded as the 36th best edge defender in the NFL by ProFootballFocus.

His presence in Philadelphia likely means the end for both Vinny Curry, who will either be traded or released and pending free agent defensive tackle Beau Allen.

Bennett arrived three years left on his current contract with base salaries of $1.65 million in 2018, $6M in 2019 and $7.5M in 2020.

A nickel pass rush of Graham, Derek Barnett, Fletcher Cox and Bennett certainly projects to be the best and most versatile in football.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen