Report: Richard Sherman wants to be traded to Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks have not yet closed the door on the possibility of trading Richard Sherman, and one reporter claims the All-Pro cornerback has made it clear that he wants to be traded to one team — the New England Patriots.

While discussing the situation on Wednesday night, Tom E. Curran of CSSNE.com said he has heard playing for Bill Belichick is at the top of Sherman’s wish list.

“My understanding is he wants to be a New England Patriot,” Curran said emphatically. “He wants to leave Seattle. He has made that clear and that’s why (Seahawks GM John) Schneider can speak so freely about it.”

There has been some question about whether Sherman asked to be traded or the Seahawks started shopping him around, and Curran believes it is both.

“Richard Sherman wants to leave the Seahawks,” he added. “They’ve had it up to here with him. His tirades on the sidelines last year were a tremendous distraction.”

The Patriots would really only have room for Sherman on their roster in 2017 if they traded Malcolm Butler. That is part of what makes the talk of Sherman going to New England more intriguing, as Butler is only signed through 2017 as a restricted free agent and reportedly wants out of town now that the Patriots signed Stephon Gilmore to a five-year deal.

Still, the deal seems far-fetched. New England’s highest draft pick at the moment is No. 72 overall, and that would not be enough to pry Sherman away from Seattle. The only way the Patriots could acquire the draft capital they needed is by trading Butler or Jimmy Garoppolo, but the latter is even less probable. A swap of Butler and Sherman is highly unlikely, as is a three-team trade that would send Sherman to the Patriots, a first-round pick to Seattle and Butler elsewhere.

Given some of the things Sherman has said about Tom Brady in the past, it would certainly be a great storyline if the two became teammates. But in reality, it seems like there are far too many obstacles standing in the way.