Seahawks, Richard Sherman Working On Long-Term Deal?
By Todd Pheifer
Feb 5, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman at Super Bowl XLVIII victory parade on 4th Avenue. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Are the Seattle Seahawks and Richard Sherman working on a long-term contract? That is the rumor, and the deal could get done before the 2014 NFL Draft.
That would certainly be good news for a Seahawks team that will look to re-sign Sherman, Earl Thomas and Russell Wilson in the next couple of years. Obviously a contract for Sherman is not going to come cheap.
Is Sherman the best corner in the league? Is he worth a lucrative deal? The numbers, swagger and reputation suggest that he should be paid top dollar. Sherman has eight interceptions in each of the last two seasons and most opposing quarterbacks know better than to throw to his side of the field.
Colin Kaepernick tested Sherman at the end of the NFC Championship game. That didn’t exactly work out for Kaepernick.
Sherman just turned 26, which means that he is arguably in his prime. Whether he would play out an entire long-term contract is debatable, particularly in an NFL climate that is prone to cutting players at the back end of their deals. The potential dollar amount for Sherman’s deal could certainly be high compared to other top-flight stars in the league, but the key number will be the guaranteed money.
Signing Sherman, Thomas and Wilson are no-brainer moves, but cap management will be an interesting challenge if all three have reasonably high salaries in a couple of seasons. Granted, the payroll and the team could look a lot different in 2015 and 2016.
For now, Sherman and the other young stars are the priority and it seems reasonable to assume that the Seahawks are going to take care of business.
Hope you stick around for awhile, Mr. Sherman.