Seahawks likely to trade Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas

The Legion of Boom could be coming to an end, as the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly looking to trade defensive backs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.

The end is near for the Seattle Seahawks. After winning with defense and swagger for much of the last decade, it could be the end of the Legion of Boom era of Pacific Northwest professional football. Seattle has evolved from a young and feisty defensive-minded team, to an aged and well compensated bunch. It seems that they are looking to get younger in a hurry and could move two of their defensive stars sooner rather than later.

According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, he expects Seattle parts way with “two of their trio of aging star defenders: Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman.” News of Bennett being on the trading block came out early in the week, but parting ways with all three could be possible for a new-Seattle team.

Thomas will likely garner the most in return for Seattle. He plays a premium position of free safety, the ideal makeup star in a Cover 3 base. Thomas was a former first-round pick out of Texas by the Seahawks. He did suffer an injury in 2016, but may have a few years left in the tank for sure.

As for Sherman, that could be a different story. He is coming off a blown Achilles’ tendon suffered on a Thursday Night Football game against the division rival Arizona Cardinals mid-season. While he once was the best shutdown corner in football, Sherman isn’t getting any younger, as his bark might outperform his bite.

A reason that the Seahawks could be looking to shop these three players is that they have some younger players to address in free agency in a matter of weeks. Seattle likes its No. 2 wide receiver Paul Richardson, who will be looking to strike a deal on his second contract. The Seahawks did trade for former New York Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson before last season. Are we sure he was just a one-year rental for the Seahawks?

What is happening with the Seahawks is obvious. They are trying to rebuild on the fly. Seattle has two sure-things going forward. Russell Wilson is the franchise quarterback. Bobby Wagner will anchor the defense at inside linebacker. The rest remains to be seen.

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No, Seahawks general manager John Schneider doesn’t need to make a trade for the sake of making a trade. However, he must be all ears in hearing out the best offer that could potentially make his team better. If that involves trading Bennett, Sherman or Thomas, that’s the way it goes. Seattle could look very different heading into fall camp.