GM John Schneider thinks this could be the best Seahawks roster since 2013

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider watches warmups before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider watches warmups before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Photo: Elaine Thompson, Associated Press Photo: Elaine Thompson, Associated Press Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close GM John Schneider thinks this could be the best Seahawks roster since 2013 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

With Seattle Seahawks training camp opening Saturday in Renton, general manager John Schneider is doing little to temper preseason expectations.

In an interview Tuesday on 710 ESPN Seattle, Schneider said he thinks this season's Seahawks roster compares favorably to the 2013 team that went 13-3 in the regular season and won Super Bowl XLVIII.

"I think it would be close to that," Schneider told morning host John Clayton. "Not getting too specific because I wouldn't want to talk about specific positions or anything. But I think it's probably closest to 2013."

On Sunday night, Schneider agreed to a five-year contract that's set to make him one of the highest paid general managers in the NFL, at about $4 million annually. Though he has strong ties to the Green Bay Packers, the thought of working for a stable ownership group and front office were major factors in pushing him to remain with Seattle.

Related: Seahawks sign John Schneider to extension

The fact the Seahawks have a successful core locked into long-term deals and a talented rookie class coming in to boost a promising 2015 draft haul doesn't hurt either.

"I think this group of guys, really the veterans working their tails off and they look at some of these young guys and are like 'dang, there is some pretty good talent here,'' Schneider said.

On Monday, ESPN was first to report that Schneider will meet this week with defensive end Michael Bennett's agent, Doug Hendrickson, to discuss a new contract. Clayton asked Schneider if there was anything he could add to the situation.

"Not much," he said, before praising the 30-year-old Bennett.

The Seahawks signed Bennett to a four-year, $28.5 million deal in March 2014. And it's been front-office policy to refuse to renegotiate deals with more than one year remaining. But there's some thought that Bennett has outperformed his contract so thoroughly that they might reconsider.

Schneider didn't commit to anything.

"There's 90 guys on this team and everybody has their own story and situation whether it's personal or professional and we are always going to try to do what is best for everybody," he said. "We have to look at what is best for the team first.''

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports reporter Adam Lewis at adam lewis@seattlepi.com or @AdamLewisPI.