The Seattle Seahawks released Richard Sherman on Friday. While the veteran cornerback is coming off an Achilles injury, several teams are expected to express interest in acquiring him in free agency.
According to Joe Pantorno of Metro US , the Dallas Cowboys will be an ideal fit for Sherman. He pointed out that Sherman “ has connections ” in Dallas, which makes him believe that a deal between Sherman and the Cowboys will benefit both parties next season.
The Cowboys signed Kris Richard to become their defensive backs coach, and Sherman liked working with him during their time together in Seattle. Before getting the pink slip after the 2017 NFL season, Richard worked as defensive backs coach from 2010-2014 and became a defensive coordinator in 2015.
Sherman and Richard developed a strong relationship with the Seahawks. Pantorno said that the potential Sherman-Richard pairing can bring new aspects to the defense of the Cowboys. Sherman will have an easier time adjusting, which could give him a good opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.
Carl Daley of Sports DFW also agreed that the Cowboys should make a run at Sherman, especially if he is open to accepting a reasonable short-term deal. It will be a gamble, considering the nature of Sherman’s injury, but Daley said that getting him will be a “ huge boon ” for the defense and could bring positive things to the locker room.
Sherman will now be free to sign with any team even before the start of free agency on March 14. The four-time Pro Bowl corner, who is acting as his own agent, told KIRO 97.3 FM that he wants to sign with a contender next season. He is also open to moving to a young team that he can help grow, but he quickly added that he will only do that if the “number looks right” and will make his family comfortable.
The three-time First-Team All-Pro member, who had 25 tackles in nine games last season, also revealed that returning to Seattle is not out of the picture. He revealed that Seattle released him just to get financial flexibility and give him a chance to test the market in free agency.
“We’ve had conversations, and they’ve told me they’re going to allow me to go into free agency,” Sherman said. “But they want me to understand that the door is open for me to return.”
It remains to be seen, though, whether or not the Seahawks will be among the elites next season. From how it looks, Seattle is cleaning the house for a possible rebuilding project. Aside from Sherman, the Seahawks also released Jeremy Lane and traded Michael Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles.