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The Seahawks played it cool with defensive end Michael Bennett. Once the Bears leaked that they “expect” to sign Bennett, the Seahawks woke up.

Now, the Seahawks have jumped into the bidding, in an effort to close the deal.

It’ll be intriguing to see what Bennett ultimately gets. There are reports that the Bears have offered $8.5 million per year, and that the Seahawks are willing to pay $8 million per year. That’s a bargain, given that the Vikings signed defensive end Everson Griffin to a five-year deal worth $8.5 million annually.

(He’s the same Everson Griffen who has started one career game. And who once was moved to linebacker for offseason workouts before moving back to defensive end in training camp. And who has a history of off-field issues.)

Still, Bennett was nearly a part-time player in 2013, participating in 57 percent of the snaps. Based on how the Seahawks used him and presumably how they plan to in 2014 and beyond, $8 million could be a very fair number — especially if the Bears will expect a lot more than 57-percent playing time for $8.5 million per year.

So now we wait, with the Seahawks having the ability for another 26 hours or so to not just negotiate but to make offers and to talk to the player directly and to get a deal done before Bennett can even go to Chicago.