Buccaneers have a perfect plan for Richard Sherman

The Buccaneers have the right idea for how to get the most out of Richard Sherman.

Richard Sherman is one of the best zone corners in the history of the NFL. Injuries have kept this player from taking the field for the Buccaneers so far this season, but there is still a way to get the most out of Sherman over the course of the rest of the year.

Starting at corner was clearly a bit too much to ask with so much happening on the injury front, but Tampa does have a recent opening at safety, and there is a precedent for a move like this.

Greg Auman announced on Twitter that the Bucs were going to start getting Richard Sherman some reps at safety in practice, and while this may sound strange to some, there are plenty of reasons to believe this will work.

For starters, a move from corner to safety is not unheard of. Safeties need to be freak athletes to succeed, especially in the box, but there is an added element of needing to read the field and the game, especially if you are in single-high or double-high looks.

Sherman probably won’t take a lot of reps in the box like a Jordan Whitehead, but he can absolutely follow the Logan Ryan career path and succeed as a safety with an extra affinity for reading the quarterback and getting to the ball.

Ryan also wasn’t a crazy athlete, but he was able to use his knowledge of the game to give the Giants a very decent safety to rely on. Take that, and then imagine what one of the best man corners and smartest players in the history of the sport could do in the same spot.

Also, it is worth mentioning that Ronde Barber, one of the best overall players in franchise history, was able to make a similar move a decade ago.

Sherman has the vision and understanding of the game to be an excellent safety for the Buccaneers. He may not get many reps when the unit is at full strength, but his odds of getting on the field at safety are better right now than they are at corner, and Tampa has the need.

It should be a few weeks before Tampa takes the plunge and gets Richard Sherman on the field during a game at a new position, but it is a great idea given what we know about the player, the defense, and the needs of the team.

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