Richard Sherman - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Richard Sherman’s Arrest

July 14th, 2021 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

Richard Sherman fought with police prior to his arrest on Tuesday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Once apprehended, Sherman was transported to a local hospital and cleared medically. After that, he was jailed and held without bail.

Sherman, a multiple-time Pro Bowler, has spent the last three years with the 49ers. Prior to that, he made his name as the leader of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom. He’s currently without an NFL home, due in large part to last year’s Achilles tear which limited him to three games.

Details of this week’s incident remain sparse, but Schefter hears that it was prompted by a 2 a.m. phone call from a relative of his partner, alleging that Sherman was trying to force his way into the home. Cops found Sherman outside the house when they arrived. Fisticuffs followed, according to police.

“We were made aware of an arrest last night of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence crisis protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved,” the NFLPA said in a statement regarding Sherman. “We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”

In 2019, his last healthy season, Sherman recorded 61 tackles and three interceptions, earning his fifth career Pro Bowl nod.

Richard Sherman Arrested For “Burglary Domestic Violence”

July 14th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback Richard Sherman was arrested by Seattle police on Tuesday night on charges of “burglary domestic violence” (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Sherman was denied bail as the incident is being investigated as a felony.

Beyond the public record of the arrest, the details are somewhat murky. In a legal context, this may or may not be a typical “burglary” — in DV cases, that could amount to breaking and entering a residence without permission.

Sherman, 33, was limited to just five games in 2020, but he was a second-team All-Pro not too long ago in 2019. Between his asking price, age, and decline in performance, he has yet to find his next NFL home. Last month, we heard that a return to the 49ers — or even the Seahawks — remained possible. However, his Tuesday night arrest will put any football plans on hold.

In 2019, his last full season, Sherman tallied 61 tackles and three interceptions en route to yet another Pro Bowl nod. For his career, Sherman has notched 36 interceptions and 115 passes defensed across ten seasons.

2021 Cap Space For All 32 NFL Teams

July 12th, 2021 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

There are still plenty of quality free agents left on the board as we look ahead to training camp. Cornerback Steven Nelson, tackle Russell Okung, and longtime Legion of Boom leader Richard Sherman headline the list, along with accomplished edge rushers like Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Olivier Vernon. That list will only grow larger, of course, as more teams shed veterans to redirect their funds elsewhere.

With that in mind, here’s a look at every NFL team’s cap situation, starting with the league-leading Jaguars:

Jacksonville Jaguars — $32.7MM
Denver Broncos — $28.9MM
New York Jets — $28.5MM
Cleveland Browns — $20.6MM
Los Angeles Chargers — $19.9MM
Detroit Lions — $17.9MM
San Francisco 49ers — $17.8MM
Cincinnati Bengals — $17.4MM
Washington Football Team — $16.7MM
Indianapolis Colts— $14.3MM
Carolina Panthers— $14.3MM
Minnesota Vikings — $13.5MM
Pittsburgh Steelers — $13.1MM
New England Patriots — $13.1MM
New Orleans Saints — $11.4MM
Arizona Cardinals — $11.3MM
Buffalo Bills — $10.5MM
Baltimore Ravens — $8.8MM
Atlanta Falcons — $8.6MM
Seattle Seahawks — $8.3MM
Tennessee Titans — $8.3MM
Kansas City Chiefs — $7.9MM
Los Angeles Rams — $7MM
Chicago Bears — $6MM
Dallas Cowboys — $6MM
Miami Dolphins — $5.3MM
Green Bay Packers — $5MM
Houston Texans — $5MM
Las Vegas Raiders — $3.3MM
Philadelphia Eagles — $3.2MM
New York Giants — $2.4MM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — $489K

Latest On Richard Sherman

July 11th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard at the beginning of June that Richard Sherman might wait until training camp to sign with a team. Well, training camps are right around the corner, but Sherman is still unsigned.

The free agent is keeping his options open apparently, and is still considering a return to the Seahawks. “I’m told that this is not off the table, that Sherman is still open to returning to” Seattle, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported recently, via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report. Fowler notes that Sherman still has a house in Seattle, and that “most people” around the league “think he’d like to still play on the West Coast.”

Sherman has been talking with the Seahawks for months now, but nothing has gotten done. One reason for the possible delay could be the ongoing negotiations between Seattle and safety Jamal Adams, which we just passed along an update on as well.

Fowler says the team “needs to figure out the Adams money allocation before they take resources elsewhere.” He adds that Sherman is “not going to take the minimum,” and would “need a decent contract” if he’s going to return to play for Pete Carroll again.

The Stanford product turned 33 back in March and missed 11 games due to injury last year, but has remained effective when on the field. Sherman has also been linked to the Saints a bunch this offseason, and has had on and off talks about going back to the 49ers for another season.

Saints Notes: Winston, Sherman, Baun

July 4th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

The biggest question facing the Saints this offseason is whether Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill will be the team’s starting QB come Week 1. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes Winston may be the frontrunner given that he is younger and has more upside, but the turnover and accuracy problems he had as a member of the Buccaneers are still major issues that he will need to clean up.

Of course, the club has been publicly complimentary of both players, and it was Hill — who also offers dynamic ability as a runner — who got the nod during Drew Brees‘ injury-related absence last year. Hill and Winston will be eligible for free agency following the 2021 campaign, so in addition to the starting gig, there is a lot of money riding on the outcome of this battle.

New Orleans selected former Notre Dame passer Ian Book in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and Book will learn behind Winston and Hill before perhaps getting a chance to throw his hat in the ring in 2022.

Now for more from the Big Easy:

The Saints’ record-setting extension for RT Ryan Ramczyk cleared about $5.5MM off their books, leaving them with $10-11MM of cap space. That number could increase if the club extends franchise-tagged safety Marcus Williams, a proposition that we recently discussed. Triplett believes New Orleans will put that money to use by signing a veteran or two, and he suggests that a big name like corner Richard Sherman — who has been connected to the team this offseason — remains a possibility.
GM Mickey Loomis is often credited as the man behind the Saints’ aggressive manipulation of the salary cap, and while Loomis has final say over the club’s transactions, Triplett also shines a light on a less recognizable member of the New Orleans front office. In examining the team’s use of backloaded contracts, restructures, and void years, Triplett describes vice president of football administration Khai Harley as one of the most innovative pioneers of those types of cap machinations, and he suggests that Harley could become a GM candidate in the future.
Linebacker Zack Baun, who generated some first-round buzz in the 2020 draft before ultimately falling to the third round, played in just 82 defensive snaps in his rookie season. But a hamstring injury suffered in training camp and the lack of a true offseason program hindered his development, and he will have the opportunity to make a bigger impact in 2021. As Sam Shannon of the team’s official website writes, Baun is transitioning from strongside linebacker to the weakside, which will require him to perform well in coverage. His projected ability to thrive in space is what led the Saints to draft him in the first place, and he will compete with second-round rookie Pete Werner for snaps alongside middle linebacker Demario Davis.

DB Rumors: Mills, Panthers, Seahawks, Colts

June 14th, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles moved Jalen Mills from cornerback to safety ahead of the 2020 offseason, when they re-signed him to a one-year contract. Mills began his first Patriots offseason at safety, but his new team has shuttled him back to his old job. Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips‘ early OTAs absences prompted the Pats to use Mills alongside Kyle Dugger at safety. But he spent the team’s final week of OTAs back at corner, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. With Stephon Gilmore holding out, Mills played opposite J.C. Jackson at corner Monday, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required). Thirty-four of Mills’ 49 NFL starts have come at corner, including 15 in the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning season. Gilmore and the Pats are not believed to be close on an extension, clouding his future with the team and complicating New England’s cornerback outlook.

Here are some additional updates from NFL secondaries:

A.J. Bouye broke out as an outside corner with the Texans and made the Pro Bowl as a boundary defender with the Jaguars. The Broncos used Bouye on the outside as well last season. The Panthers have a different plan. Carolina DC Phil Snow told Bouye the team needs him in the slot, Joe Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required). After signing Bouye to a two-year, $7MM deal, the Panthers picked Jaycee Horn eighth overall. Horn and Donte Jackson are on track to be Carolina’s outside corners this season.
Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn underwent surgery for an injury that has bothered him since college. The second-year defender had what Matt Rhule described as a minor knee operation this offseason, but Carolina’s HC said the injury Chinn dealt with in 2020 had bothered him dating back to his Southern Illinois days (Twitter links via Person). Despite the injury, Chinn proved to be one of the NFL’s top rookies last season.
Richard Sherman surfaced on the Seahawks‘ radar recently, but he is taking his time on deciding his next team. The three-year 49ers corner did advise ex-teammate Ahkello Witherspoon to move to Seattle, however. The former Legion of Boom member told Witherspoon he would fit in well with the Seahawks, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic notes. Witherspoon signed a one-year, $4MM contract with the Seahawks in March. A third-round 49ers pick in 2017, Witherspoon made a 30 visit to Seattle ahead of the draft four years ago.
The Cowboys did not use Reggie Robinson on defense in his rookie season, but they moved the 2020 fourth-round pick from cornerback to safety during training camp last year. While that change did not end up mattering during regular-season games, Robinson is now back at corner, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes.
Marvell Tell opted out of the 2020 season, but the former fifth-round pick is back at work with the Colts. Tell has joined the run of secondary position changes this offseason; the Colts have moved him from safety to corner, Stephen Holder of The Athletic writes. As a safety in 2019, Tell played 252 snaps and started one game. The Colts have crowded their cornerback contingent this offseason, re-signing both Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie. Both veterans are on one-year contracts. Tell’s rookie deal tolled from the COVID-19 opt-out; he is under contract through 2023.

Latest On Richard Sherman

June 12th, 2021 at 9:10am CST by Ben Levine

Richard Sherman could wait until training camp to sign with his next team, and the veteran defensive back naturally wants to play for a contender. In a profile on Bloomberg, Sherman hinted that he’d like to sign with a team that’d give him the greatest chance at a ring.

“I want to get to a team that’s competing for a championship, so that’s what I’m focused on and waiting for a right opportunity,” he said. “When it comes, that’s where I’ll be.”

Sherman has been a popular name this offseason. We most recently heard that he was in talks with the 49ers, where he had spent the past three years. Sherman has also had talks with the Seahawks, the team that he spent the first seven seasons of his career with, and he’s generated interest from the Raiders and Saints. The Jets have continually been mentioned as a potential suitor thanks to the presence of head coach Robert Saleh, who spent time with Sherman both in Seattle and San Francisco.

The Stanford product was limited to only five games this past year and recently turned 33, but he was still a second-team All-Pro in 2019. He’ll be an interesting gamble for a team, as he’s past his prime and coming off an injury-plagued year, but also played at a very high level not too long ago. The veteran has indicated that he’d like to play two more years.

Richard Sherman May Wait Until Training Camp To Sign

June 3rd, 2021 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been quiet on the Richard Sherman front, but there might be a reason why. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes that many around the NFL believe the veteran is going to “wait out training camp” to sign with a contender.

This isn’t a shocking move, and we’ve seen plenty of veterans take this route over the years. By waiting a bit for his next contract, Sherman isn’t only getting some extra rest as he enters his age-33 season. Rather, the five-time Pro Bowler can also wait to see if an alluring opportunity appears following injuries and roster cuts. Either way, he’ll get more time to evaluate his potential suitors.

Sherman has been a popular name this offseason. We most recently heard that he was in talks with the 49ers, where he had spent the past three years. Sherman has also had talks with the Seahawks, the team that he spent the first seven seasons of his career with, and he’s generated interest from the Raiders and Saints. The Jets have continually been mentioned as a potential suitor thanks to the presence of head coach Robert Saleh, who spent time with Sherman both in Seattle and San Francisco.

The Stanford product was limited to only five games this past year and recently turned 33, but he was still a second-team All-Pro in 2019. He’ll be an interesting gamble for a team, as he’s past his prime and coming off an injury-plagued year, but also played at a very high level not too long ago. The veteran has indicated that he’d like to play two more years.

Jets Likely To Roll Over Most Of Their Cap Space?

May 30th, 2021 at 4:33pm CST by Rory Parks

As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com observes, the Jets are second in the league with roughly $25MM of cap space, and they will still be in good shape after signing their top four draft picks (which will result in a $9.1MM cap charge). That $25MM figure does not include the cap savings the team will realize from guard Alex Lewis‘ recent paycut, and New York could create still more room if it’s able to hammer out an extension with franchise-tagged safety Marcus Maye. Even if that doesn’t happen, GM Joe Douglas will have a ton of flexibility.

However, Cimini gets the sense that while Douglas may acquire a veteran or two to fill a specific need, he will not make any major moves. Instead, Douglas will be perfectly content to roll the bulk of his unused dollars into 2022. And if the cap takes the massive spike that was recently reported, the Jets could be armed with around $80MM to attack the first wave of free agency next year. Douglas would obviously love to see his club take a step forward in its rebuild in 2021, which might allow him to be more aggressive next offseason than he has been to date.

Cimini’s report is not terribly surprising, as there just aren’t many big-money additions to be made at this point in the league year. The Jets are not in the mix for the top two trade candidates at the moment, Aaron Rodgers and Julio Jones, and while another edge rusher like Everson Griffen might make sense, such a transaction won’t have a major impact on the team’s cap.

Cimini does believe the club must add a cornerback. New head coach Robert Saleh might be interested in reuniting with Richard Sherman, though Cimini believes that is highly unlikely to happen, which leaves Steven Nelson as the best FA option at the moment. Of course, a player could always become available via cut or trade.

A veteran QB is also a must-add, in Cimini’s estimation. The Jets did make a run at Brian Hoyer before he elected to rejoin the Patriots, and like several of his fellow Jets beat writers, Cimini thinks a post-June 1 trade for Bears QB Nick Foles makes plenty of sense.

49ers, Richard Sherman In Talks

May 10th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are discussing a new deal with Richard Sherman, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. This jibes with recent comments from the cornerback, who says he has also chatted with the Seahawks, Raiders, and Saints.

Sherman probably won’t land with the Raiders, now that they’ve reunited Casey Hayward with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The 49ers, meanwhile, still need a boundary corner. The Niners brought back Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett while using third- and fifth-round picks on corners. However, between Verrett’s injury history and the greenness of the rookies, they could use someone like Sherman. And, unlike the other experienced vets on the market, Sherman offers familiarity with the 49ers’ system.

Sherman, 33, was limited to just five games in 2020. But, in the previous year, he was a second-team All-Pro. The Stanford product isn’t lacking for confidence, but he’s taken a patient approach to the offseason.

“Well, apparently we got to wait ’til the draft happens before anything else shakes out, because everybody has their hopes and dreams in the draft, which is understandable,” Sherman said back in April. “You turn 33, and then it’s like, ‘We’ll wait until we get a young pup; and if we can’t get a young pup, we’ll take an old fool.’ So that’s where we’re sitting.”