Richard Sherman's possible moves away from Seattle Seahawks

By Matty Brown

Image: Richard Sherman's future at the Seattle Seahawks is in doubt

The NFL may be heading towards the Draft but there is still some trade talk to keep general managers busy, and Richard Sherman may be at the top of the list.

Seattle have returned to off-season training programmes and it's the future of Sherman as well as Marshawn Lynch which have dominated the headlines recently.

While the Seahawks are thrashing out terms that could see Lynch come out of retirement and move to his hometown Oakland Raiders, the picture is not quite so clear cut with Sherman, although Seattle have done little to dispel the rumours.

Various reports have suggested that Seattle's asking price is a player plus a draft pick, whether it's a starting point for negotiations or actual demands remains to be seen.

However with a number of teams viewing Sherman as an attractive proposition, Matty Brown looks at five potential fits for the All-Pro Defensive Back.

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Atlanta Falcons

Sherman and the Seahawks' defence had their best years under the stewardship of co-ordinator Dan Quinn.

Quinn's first season as a head coach in Atlanta saw him fall just short in the Super Bowl with one of their success stories in a great 2016 their up-and-coming defence.

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Image: Dan Quinn and the Falcons could use Sherman's experience in Atlanta

That side of the ball could be improved further at the second cornerback position, where Robert Alford can be a defensive pass interference liability. Sherman would be able to slot in and immediately upgrade the position and add invaluable experience to a youthful defence.

He and the newly paid Desmond Trufant would be a fearsome cornerback duo.

Buffalo Bills

During his time as Carolina Panthers defensive co-ordinator, new Bills head coach Sean McDermott managed to make his 4-3 defence work without premier talent in the defensive backfield.

Still, the Panthers' best year was with Josh Norman manning one of the cornerback spots.

Image: Stephon Gilmore's departure has left a cornerback hole in Buffalo that needs filling

After losing Stephon Gilmore in free agency, the Bills' cornerback group is weak and Sherman would be a huge improvement, adept playing in the variety of zone coverages that McDermott runs.

He would also thrive in some of the trap coverages, where he can put his unique ball-hawking and route-recognition to use.

New England Patriots

Although New England are unwilling to pay Malcolm Butler the new price for upper echelon cornerbacks, various media reports have linked them with a move for Sherman.

The Patriots have shown they are not averse to acquiring a good player for a short period with Darrelle Revis the obvious example, where they were happy to use his elite cornerback skills for just a year.

Image: Malcolm Butler remains in limbo and that could create a possible vacancy with the Super Bowl 51 champions

A defensive backfield of Sherman, Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung would be the best in the league but having paid Gilmore this off-season, the fiscally excellent Patriots are unlikely to spend more big money at the position.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are another team with a defensive mind from the Pete Carroll coaching tree.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is now the defensive co-ordinator in Los Angeles and has shown throughout his coaching career that he will stick to his soft cover three defence.

Image: Gus Bradley's defensive methods are well known

To make this transition effective, Bradley needs the right personnel. How about the ready-made corner for the system in Sherman? This would move either free agent signing Casey Hayward or Pro Bowl-cornerback Jason Verrett into the slot.

All that would be left is finding a suitable free safety, something that could be addressed by drafting Ohio State's Malik Hooker.

San Francisco 49ers

While it is very unlikely that Seattle trades Sherman in-division, San Francisco are the team with the most cap space in the league.

Furthermore, the 49ers' new defensive co-ordinator is bringing the in-vogue Seattle cover three defence with him.

Image: Kyle Shanahan is rebuilding the San Francisco 49ers but a move to a divisional rival may be out of the question for the current Seahawk

Robert Saleh was defensive quality control coach in Seattle from 2011 to 2013, and linebacker coach in Jacksonville from 2014 to 2016.

San Francisco's roster suffers from a dearth of talent, and the cornerback position is no exception. Dontae Johnson and Jimmie Ward are of lower level ability, but they also lack the required length for this style of defence. On the other hand, Sherman is ideal for this system.

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