NFL notes: Seahawks deny Michael Bennett, Greg Hardy rumors

Greg Hardy coming to Seattle? Michael Bennett leaving?

According to the Seattle Seahawks, no to each question, as the team quashed rumors that erupted Tuesday morning concerning each player.

First came reports the controversial Hardy has set a visit with the Seahawks as he seeks a new team, followed soon after by one lone tweet that Bennett is seeking to be traded.

By the end of the night, the Hardy situation looked well on its way to being settled with reports out of Dallas stating he could sign with the Cowboys today.

Hardy was not retained by Carolina after missing all but one game in 2014 while suspended after having been convicted by a judge of assaulting a female and communicating threats. The charges were dropped in February when the accuser couldn’t be found to testify.

The Seahawks said that no visit by Hardy had been set and that at the moment they were only doing “due diligence” in exploring options with Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013. Should Hardy leave Dallas without a deal, though, Seattle’s due diligence could become more serious as it’s clear the Seahawks are looking at options to strengthen their pass rush.

Hardy is represented by one of the better-known NFL agents, Drew Rosenhaus.

So is Bennett, a connection many found to be more than a coincidence when a report surfaced in a tweet from a reporter from the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram that Bennett wanted to be traded to Atlanta. If Bennett were on his way out, then it would follow that Seattle would have more of an interest in Hardy.

The Seahawks denied that Bennett has asked to be traded, saying neither he nor his representatives have communicated that to the team.

Bennett signed a four-year, $28.5 million contract with Seattle last March just before becoming an unrestricted free agent, after returning to the team in 2013 on a one-year contract.

He became not only one of the leaders of the team on the field but also in the locker room, tasked with often giving the last speech to his teammates before games.

Neither Rosenhaus nor Bennett commented on the report Tuesday.

Atlanta now is coached by Dan Quinn, who was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks the past two years and also the defensive line coach for Seattle in 2009 when Bennett entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M.

As for Hardy, he was reported by the Cowboys’ official website to be spending the night in Dallas with negotiations expected to start and the possibility of “a deal getting struck as early as today.”

Hardy’s legal issues mean he’s likely to command a lower salary than would usually be the case. He became a free agent after the 2014 season when he had a salary of $13.116 million.

The NFL has yet to rule on an on-field punishment for Hardy for 2015 – he could be suspended for the first six games of the season.

Around the league

The Chargers have agreed to terms of a three-year contract with free agent wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who’s looking to bounce back after two down years. … The Raiders have signed free agent running back Trent Richardson. He was cut by the Colts last week.