Hawks Notes: Thomas, Bennett, Richardson

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the Seahawks have some decisions to make regarding key members of their veteran core. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports anticipates two members of the Earl Thomas/Richard Sherman/Michael Bennett trio being traded. John Schneider said the team will be “open to listening to anything” this offseason. Here’s the latest on trades and other matters from Seattle:

• The Seahawks are shopping Bennett at the Combine, and La Canfora estimates the team will take a draft choice for Bennett and look to add a free agent to replace him up front. Interestingly, JLC places the other high-profile former Jets defensive end, Muhammad Wilkerson, as a Seahawks candidate. Bennett has three years and more than $26MM remaining on his contract, and considering a market light on edge talent, he should be able to fetch the Seahawks a Day 3 pick despite his age (32) and salary.
• However, Seattle will demand value for Thomas. La Canfora expects the soon-to-be 29-year-old safety to be worth multiple Day 2 picks and anticipates the Seahawks moving him. Thomas has made multiple comments about a holdout this winter. He and Eric Berry are the only active safeties to have three first-team All-Pro honors on their resumes, and Thomas figures to have several years of productivity left. He was the last member of the Legion of Boom standing, returning from a broken leg to play in 14 games, after Sherman and Kam Chancellor went down with severe injuries. One season and $10.4MM remains on Thomas’ second Seahawks contract. It’s logical Thomas, whose 2014 Seahawks extension represented the salary standard at safety for many months, will expect a third deal on the Berry tier. The Chiefs All-Pro earns a safety-high $13MM per year.
• Sherman’s injury makes him the most logical choice to stay in Seattle and mentor the next wave of DBs, La Canfora writes. One year and $13.2MM remains on the 29-year-old cornerback’s contract.
• A recent report indicated the Seahawks weren’t likely to use their franchise tag on Sheldon Richardson by Tuesday’s deadline, and Schneider confirmed as such. “Not at this point. We have time, but we have more people that we have to talk to this weekend,” Schneider said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “We’re not done with all our meetings.” Tagging the 27-year-old interior defender would cost Seattle $14.2MM, and that wouldn’t seem to fit in an offseason in which the team is trying to shed veteran expenses.
• Several factors point to the Falcons inquiring on Bennett, with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com noting that in addition to the defender’s relationship with Dan Quinn he shares an agent with Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff. Falcons DC Marquand Manuel was also a Seahawks assistant during part of Bennett’s Seattle tenure. Although McClure said the Falcons’ ideal scenario would be to add Bennett as a free agent, he expects Dimitroff to inquire about what it will cost to make a deal with the Seahawks. He would be a threat to line up inside on passing downs to help bolster the Falcons’ interior pass rush. “I think he’s a mismatch on the guards. I think he has a couple good years left,” an NFC coach told McClure. “I think he still has some juice. And he has that relationship with [Quinn].”