The Seattle Seahawks have made it clear that they are open to trading Richard Sherman for the right price, and the New England Patriots are one of the teams that has expressed interest in the All-Pro corner. According to one report, that interest is mutual.
A source told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald that Sherman would be “amenable” to a trade to the Patriots if it came down to it. Sherman’s contract doesn’t give him the ability to veto a trade, but it is always easier to trade a player to a place he wants to go.
Howe adds that other teams have been more aggressive than New England in trying to trade for Sherman, though nothing is imminent. With Seahawks GM John Schneider admitting this week that the team has essentially been shopping Sherman around, there’s still a chance a deal could be made closer to the NFL Draft.
The Patriots would only be interested in acquiring Sherman this season if they lose Malcolm Butler, which could only happen if they traded the restricted free agent or chose not to match an offer sheet he signed with another team. Butler has until April 21 to sign his restricted free agent tender.
Sherman could make some sense for the Patriots, as he has just two years remaining on his contract. He carries cap hits of more than $13 million for 2017 and 2018, but Bill Belichick might like the idea of essentially renting him for two seasons with Tom Brady’s 40th birthday coming up. Beyond that, the Patriots have already signed Stephon Gilmore to a five-year deal this offseason.
Given some of the things Sherman has said about Brady in the past, we’d love to see their first interactions as teammates.
