Buccaneers Should Inquire About the Availability of Richard Sherman
By Brian DeFeo
Seattle Seahawks All-Pro Cornerback Richard Sherman‘s name has been floated in trade rumors. Should Jason Licht and the Buccaneers give the Seahawks a call to get Sherman to Tampa?
Richard Sherman is available this off-season and every team should be foaming at the mouth to try and get their hands on him. So I wondered if the Buccaneers should get in on the action.
It is actually rumored that Richard Sherman asked for the trade. Adam Schefter, from ESPN said:
"“My understanding is that Richard Sherman initiated this. He was looking to get out of Seattle. He was open to that idea. They’re accommodating by listening to trade offers and they’ll see what happens.”"
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I don’t know if the rumors are true but I can’t understand why Richard Sherman would want to leave the situation he has in Seattle. Sherman is an elite corner on an elite defense and his departure would drop off the entire defense. The Legion of Boom was started with Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor so if he left they would not be a feared defense. However we do not know what goes on inside the locker room. Sherman has clashed with the media, clashed with coaches, and even clashed with his defensive teammates. John Schneider has talked about the fact that Sherman could be on a different team at the start of the season.
Should the Bucs put their attention towards making a massive move? There is one person who would love the idea of Sherman in pewter, Mike Smith. No matter which defense they run he could just have Sherman lock up one side. There would be a few downsides of acquiring Richard Sherman. With him still under contract for two years the Bucs would have to pay a hefty ransom to bring him across the country. Reports are that the Seahawks are looking for a high pick and quality player or something along the lines of the Darrelle Revis trade.
As Bucs fans we all know how poorly that worked out. Revis was 28 when he was traded but he was coming off a major injury and in the final year of his contract. Sherman still having time left on his deal gives the Seahawks leverage in trade talks. At about $13 million each year remaining the money isn’t the issue right now.
Sherman is going to demand another massive contract at the end of the 2018 season. He will be 31 and on the back-end of his career but will still be looking for one final pay-day. At that time the Bucs will need to pay Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, Ali Marpet, Kwon Alexander, and Donovan Smith and may not have the space to keep Sherman. He would essentially be a two-year rental until they move on to the next corner.
The Bucs need secondary help being in the bottom ten of pass yards allowed. Vernon Hargreaves made progress at the end of the year but Brent Grimes will be 34 this season. Adding Richard Sherman will give the Bucs a player to make the defense one of the most feared in the league. I don’t see why the Bucs shouldn’t give John Schneider a call. The cost will be too high for the Bucs but it’s worth a call. I wouldn’t give up more than a second rounder for him but they will ask for more than a first. It would be a fun two seasons but it’s not the best move long-term.