Richard Sherman trade rumors: Seahawks listening to offers
The Seattle Seahawks are listening to offers on all their players, but the chatter around Richard Sherman is only going to intensify.
On Thursday afternoon, Seattle Seahawks head coach strode to the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine and fielded questions. One of which directly posed the idea of trading Richard Sherman, Seattle’s All-Pro corner coming off a pair of Achilles surgeries.
Carroll didn’t confirm actively shopping Sherman, but he maintained an open door to the notion.
Asked Pete Carroll if the Seahawks have received any trade interest in Richard Sherman. He said they're listening to everything on everyone.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) March 1, 2018
Obviously, Carroll is being quite vague with that blanket statement. However, there are plenty of reasons for Seattle to move on from Sherman. For starters, the team has a litany of free agents with only $13 million of projected cap space. The Seahawks must make tough decisions on Jimmy Graham, Paul Richardson and Sheldon Richardson, along with whether to release Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett.
If the Seahawks are going young and cheaper, Sherman doesn’t fit the plans. At 29 years old, Sherman is entering the final year of a four-year, $56 million deal. His $13.2 million cap hit is third-largest on the Seahawks, and they would net $11 million by trading of releasing him.
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Sherman remains the best corner on Seattle’s roster, so if general manager John Schneider has designs on winning in 2018, keeping him around is necessary. However, if Schneider sees the upcoming campaign as a transition year, paying an aging veteran isn’t a worthwhile endeavor.
With the new league year coming on March 14, the Seahawks essentially have two weeks to make a decision on the future Hall of Famer.