Richard Sherman Would Agree to a Patriot Trade

[BigKen]

Word is all over the place today that Richard Sherman stated publicly yesterday that he would agree with being traded to the New England Patriots. Everyone knows that the Patriots inquired with the Seahawks about Sherman's availability before they signed Stephon Gilmore. The only wrench in these gears is Malcolm Butler. If Butler were to play for the Patriots this season, then a trade for Sherman would be extremely difficult.

So.....why is Sherman all of a sudden amenable to becoming a Patriot? Are the Patriots and Seahawks talking a trade? Could the deal be Sherman for Butler?

Butler and Gilmore would be a really good CB tandem. Gilmore and Sherman would be ....HOLY SHIT!!!!

 

[BigKen]

The New England Patriots are reportedly interested in acquiring Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman if the team moves on from Malcolm Butler this offseason, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

That news surfaced after Seahawks general manager John Schneider acknowledged on 710 ESPN Seattle's Brock and Salk show that the team has engaged in trade talks regarding Sherman, as has been rumored, per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com:

What you've seen lately in the news is real. That's on both sides. It's just open communication. He knows what's going on. We know what's going on. I don't know if anything would ever happen. But like I tell people all the time, 98 percent of the things we're involved with, we don't follow through with. But at least we've opened that door, gone down the road and seen what's behind door A or door B.

Per Howe's report, however, other teams have pursued Sherman more aggressively than the Patriots. On the other hand, Howe said Sherman would be open to joining the Patriots based on his admiration for the organization and head coach Bill Belichick.


Schneider said the Sherman trade talks began at February's NFL Scouting Combine and that he's had conversations with the star cornerback about the rumors.

"This isn't a secret like it just came out of nowhere," Schneider noted. "People find things out, and we're not going to lie to each other. We're not going to BS each other. It's going to be all laid out."

 

[CreepCreep2014]

I have a hard time seeing this one happen. NE does not have what Sea wants. Sure they might take Butler, but I think they want a pick. NE has none of that. Maybe a 3 way trade: Butler to NO for a 2nd, Sherman and a 3rd to NE for Rowe and NO 2nd rd pick...so much has to happen with NE for this to make any sense. IDK, I like Gillmore, Butler, Rowe, Jones, Coleman right now....unless Sherman can be done.

 

[YankeeRebel]

I just do not see this happening

 

[BigKen]

According to Mike Giardi and Tom Curran on Boston Sports Tonight..........

This trade has more legs than a centipede. It will be a three team trade.

First. Malcolm Butler will sign the 1st Round Tender. The Patriots will trade Butler to the Saints for their 2nd round draft pick (#43) and another lower pick. This is where the trade is gets complicated because the Patriots would also like the Saints 3ed round pick (#55). The Saints aren't quite willing to pull the trigger just yet.

Second. The Patriots would trade the Saints second round pick and one of their lower round picks (6th or 7th) to the Seahawks for Richard Sherman.

Third. Before anything else takes place, Sherman would have to agree to restructure his contract with a possible extension to reduce the salary cap hit for the Patriots.

As we fans look at it, the trade seems simple enough, but each team has to examine everything from the benefits to the potential pitfalls. The Seahawks would get immediate salary cap relief which they must do anyway, even without this trade. They would also pick up a really good draft pick and most likely could draft a quality CB with the position depth this year. The Saints would get Butler. Giving up the draft pick may seem a bit tough but two things benefit them. They get an All Pro CB for the pick and there's no way in hell that a CB of Butlers quality and ability would be available for #43 in the draft and they get to keep their first round pick (#11) that the Patriots would demand in a straight up trade for Butler. Patriots really shore up their man pass coverage and solve a potential contract squabble again next year. It does create a problem for the Patriots because they now have Gilmore, Sherman and Rowe as their outside CBs and they have to fill in the slot with Derrick Coleman, Cyrus Jones or Johnathan Jones. Once they've made the decision, someone has to go or be ready to play both the slot and safety. The Pats generally keep 5 CBs on the 53 man roster. Johnathan Jones is an excellent special teamer and can play both cover and slot. Cyrus is an enigma and no one is sure what he can do. Problem is that he was the Pats top pick in the 2016 Draft and no one like to cut those guys in year 2.

According to BST, this trade has a 70/30 probability of actually getting done.

 

[cdumler7]

I guess just a couple of questions for you @BigKen on this trade...

1) Trading Sherman actually makes the Seahawks cap situation worse. He has a $15.8 million dead money hit where his cap number right now is only $13.6 million. They can't get around that with the signing bonus/guaranteed money that has already taken effect. So while he can restructure for the Pats it actually hurts the Seahawks in the immediate time being. So I guess just having trouble seeing how that helps?

2) Not sure the Seahawks need help. They have more than enough to cover the draft and have some emergency money. So even if they did get cap relief from Sherman not sure they actually need it?

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Seattle would not take a 15M hit in a trade because most of that is guaranteed salary, which they'd be on the hook for if they cut him, but in a trade the guaranteed salary part transfers to the new team and would actually free up about 9M for them. With Chancellor a FA after this year and Thomas and Sherman the year after that, they have to at least be thinking about where they want to allocate their $ in the secondary in the future.

 

[cdumler7]

Seattle would not take a 15M hit in a trade because most of that is guaranteed salary, which they'd be on the hook for if they cut him, but a trade would actually free up about 9M for them. With Chancellor a FA after this year and Thomas and Sherman the year after that, they have to at least be thinking about where they want to allocate their $ in the secondary in the future.

Sorry you are right. It does save them some money. At this point not sure the extra saved money though is worth getting a mid-2nd round pick and another late round pick in trade. I would think they would be wanting at least a 1st round pick in return.

 

[nefansince75]

Sorry you are right. It does save them some money. At this point not sure the extra saved money though is worth getting a mid-2nd round pick and another late round pick in trade. I would think they would be wanting at least a 1st round pick in return.

My sentiments exactly... They give up Sherman to draft a 2nd round CB? That does not add up. Neither does getting anything less than #31 for Butler... The Pats are best to just keep Butler. He'll learn that $3.9 mill can actually pay for the rest of his life and that his own investment in an insurance policy will cover him in case of injury. His future value is way more valuable than his present valuse and the insurance will cover that.

 

[cdumler7]

My sentiments exactly... They give up Sherman to draft a 2nd round CB? That does not add up. Neither does getting anything less than #31 for Butler... The Pats are best to just keep Butler. He'll learn that $3.9 mill can actually pay for the rest of his life and that his own investment in an insurance policy will cover him in case of injury. His future value is way more valuable than his present valuse and the insurance will cover that.

Agreed. There are other teams that to me make more sense without having to jump through so many hoops. Heck if I were NO why not just trade for Sherman instead of Butler straight up? He will cost a bit more but they were planning on giving Butler a big deal anyway. Sherman because of the Seahawks covering the bonus money would actually be on a below market value contract for his position. So makes sense then just to trade for the guy most consider to be the best CB in the league. I don't personally consider him that but I know plenty that do.

 

[Carnzo]

Agreed. There are other teams that to me make more sense without having to jump through so many hoops. Heck if I were NO why not just trade for Sherman instead of Butler straight up? He will cost a bit more but they were planning on giving Butler a big deal anyway. Sherman because of the Seahawks covering the bonus money would actually be on a below market value contract for his position. So makes sense then just to trade for the guy most consider to be the best CB in the league. I don't personally consider him that but I know plenty that do.

Hush you!
Don't cut the Pats out of the deal.

 

[cdumler7]

Hush you!
Don't cut the Pats out of the deal.

In reality it isn't cutting the Pats out of the deal. They are getting to keep Butler in this situation on a very team friendly deal. So either you get Sherman at around $11 million a year for the next 2 seasons or Butler on a 1-year RFA tag deal.

And really to me just looking at the 2 players in Butler and Sherman both are having a bit of an attitude problem right now so not much changes by bringing in Sherman compared to keeping Butler. Maybe you get Sherman to toe the company line for a year but he isn't one that likes to keep his mouth shut very long.

 

[Carnzo]

In reality it isn't cutting the Pats out of the deal. They are getting to keep Butler in this situation on a very team friendly deal. So either you get Sherman at around $11 million a year for the next 2 seasons or Butler on a 1-year RFA tag deal.

And really to me just looking at the 2 players in Butler and Sherman both are having a bit of an attitude problem right now so not much changes by bringing in Sherman compared to keeping Butler. Maybe you get Sherman to toe the company line for a year but he isn't one that likes to keep his mouth shut very long.

Very good points, cannot argue a thing.

 

[YankeeRebel]

Chances we retain Butler this year 45%, chances we sign Sherman 2%

 

[nefansince75]

And really to me just looking at the 2 players in Butler and Sherman both are having a bit of an attitude problem right now.

Butler's attitude is more of a "par for the course" variety. His agent is playing off his natural ego and is making him feel disrespected... He'll get the respect HE'S EARNED when he jumps over the rfa hurdle.

 

[BigKen]

I'm sure that SportsHoopla posters are much more knowledgeable than John Schneider, Bill Belichick and Sean Payton about making a deal. The SportsHoopla posters inside knowledge and of each team's cap space, internal workings and team needs are certainly going to totally make each Coach/GM reconsider any such deal before it gets to the point of no return........

If the deal was already being discussed and re-discussed by all parties involved, why would Schneider say publicly that the deal has been and is now being discussed???? So that SportsHoopla could say it won't happen because.........

BST wouldn't throw out a guess that the deal is 70-30 without having something to base it on. Someone with inside knowledge of the deal had to have given them that probability. Giardi is way to good to just pull a number like that out of his ass. That and Sherman wouldn't be talking about being a Patriots if he really didn't think he had a better than 50/50 chance of being in New England. This thing is gathering way too much steam to be a pipe dream.

BB has never in his 17 years as HCNEP ever made moves like he's made this year. He must really want a second back to back Super Bowl Championship and rename the Lombardi Trophy to the Belichick Trophy.

 

[SDGuy73]

I'm sure that SportsHoopla posters are much more knowledgeable than John Schneider, Bill Belichick and Sean Payton about making a deal. The SportsHoopla posters inside knowledge and of each team's cap space, internal workings and team needs are certainly going to totally make each Coach/GM reconsider any such deal before it gets to the point of no return........

If the deal was already being discussed and re-discussed by all parties involved, why would Schneider say publicly that the deal has been and is now being discussed???? So that SportsHoopla could say it won't happen because.........

BST wouldn't throw out a guess that the deal is 70-30 without having something to base it on. Someone with inside knowledge of the deal had to have given them that probability. Giardi is way to good to just pull a number like that out of his ass. That and Sherman wouldn't be talking about being a Patriots if he really didn't think he had a better than 50/50 chance of being in New England. This thing is gathering way too much steam to be a pipe dream.

BB has never in his 17 years as HCNEP ever made moves like he's made this year. He must really want a second back to back Super Bowl Championship and rename the Lombardi Trophy to the Belichick Trophy.

And Butler was 95% away from being a Saint just a few weeks ago.

 

[YankeeRebel]

I'm sure that SportsHoopla posters are much more knowledgeable than John Schneider, Bill Belichick and Sean Payton about making a deal. The SportsHoopla posters inside knowledge and of each team's cap space, internal workings and team needs are certainly going to totally make each Coach/GM reconsider any such deal before it gets to the point of no return........

If the deal was already being discussed and re-discussed by all parties involved, why would Schneider say publicly that the deal has been and is now being discussed???? So that SportsHoopla could say it won't happen because.........

BST wouldn't throw out a guess that the deal is 70-30 without having something to base it on. Someone with inside knowledge of the deal had to have given them that probability. Giardi is way to good to just pull a number like that out of his ass. That and Sherman wouldn't be talking about being a Patriots if he really didn't think he had a better than 50/50 chance of being in New England. This thing is gathering way too much steam to be a pipe dream.

BB has never in his 17 years as HCNEP ever made moves like he's made this year. He must really want a second back to back Super Bowl Championship and rename the Lombardi Trophy to the Belichick Trophy.

What % of cap space would be spent on two CBs Gilmore and Sherman if that were to happen? I just don't see it, I dont.

 

[nefansince75]

I'm sure that SportsHoopla posters are much more knowledgeable than John Schneider, Bill Belichick and Sean Payton about making a deal. The SportsHoopla posters inside knowledge and of each team's cap space, internal workings and team needs are certainly going to totally make each Coach/GM reconsider any such deal before it gets to the point of no return........

You are so right. This site and every other discussion site should not be allowed to operate for the purpose of allowing hobbyists to exchange thoughts and opinions, good or bad, right or wrong. Nobody should be allowed to discuss sports, or investments, or politics or anything else unless you are on the inside of an organization being discussed...

 

[BigKen]

What % of cap space would be spent on two CBs Gilmore and Sherman if that were to happen? I just don't see it, I dont.

$25M / $167M = 14.9%