The Seattle Seahawks have controlled the headlines over the past 24 hours after trading Michael Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles and reports leaking that the team is preparing to release veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Sherman has been the heart of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom,” helping the team capture Super Bowl XLVIII while being elected to four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro First Teams.
However, the 29-year-old Sherman saw his 2017 season cut short due to a torn ACL as the Seahawks defense looked more vulnerable than it has in the last eight years.
While Sherman is only signed for one more year, the $13.2 million cap hit his contract provides looks to be too much of a risk given his injury while taking away any chance of the Seahawks being offered a trade for him.
Per Charean Williams of Yahoo Sports, the Seahawks could attempt to bring Sherman back on a less-expensive deal, but that will depend on whether or not another team steps up and lures the Stanford alum away from the Pacific Northwest.
One of those teams, should they wish to pursue, would be the Dallas Cowboys.
The NFC East side recently hired Kris Richard as their defensive backs coach, who held the same position with the Seahawks from 2010-2014 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2015. He was fired following the 2017 season after the Seahawks defense ranked 11th in the NFL.
It was a move that didn’t necessarily sit well with Sherman.
“It was kind of odd but I guess time for a change,” Sherman said via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I didn’t see it coming. But you know, I guess we don’t know everything.”
Richard worked closely with Sherman since he broke into the league and will likely bring some aspects of the Seahawks defense to Rod Marinelli’s defense in Dallas. That kind of familiarity on one of the most popular franchises in North American sports could be a tempting possibility for the cornerback.
