Green Bay Packers: Why Richard Sherman shouldn’t be pursued

Richard Sherman is on the market and the Green Bay Packers need help in the secondary. They shouldn’t pursue the All-Pro cornerback though.

One of the first things on the Green Bay Packers list-of-needs this offseason had to be help in the secondary. That got even more obvious when they traded Damarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns on Friday. Richard Sherman was also released from the Seattle Seahawks on Friday.

So there’s an All-Pro veteran cornerback now on the market for a new team. He’d fill the veteran leadership role that’s needed in the Green Bay secondary, as well being a fantastic corner. On the surface, there isn’t much to disparage anyone from wanting the Packers to pursue Sherman. Dig a little deeper though and you’ll hit gold.

First there’s the injuries. Sherman ruptured his right achilles last season. Meanwhile, he’s going to have surgery on his left heel due to bone spurs poking that achilles.

In 2018, Sherman will be entering his age-30 season. While that’s not exactly old, it’s not young for a cornerback who’s dealing with two bad achilles. Cornerback is a position know for seeing a sharp decline in production as players get older and for players battling injuries. Combating both at the same time can’t be fun.

Now, I’m not saying Sherman can’t still be productive. He’s been one of the best cornerbacks in football for years now, and those elite instincts won’t go away. Instincts aren’t everything though and might not be enough to cover the other problems.

Next is his age, which was already touched upon slightly. Again, 30 isn’t old, but Sherman might be looking for a long-term deal. Do you really want to lock-in to a 30-year old cornerback coming off achilles injuries?

Then there’s the contract itself. Even if Sherman isn’t asking for five years, he’s probably looking for a hefty paycheck. Being one of the best cornerbacks in football for most of your career will help you reel in the money. There’s a pretty decent chance Sherman wants to see a lot of dollar signs, and an even better chance multiple teams will throw them at him. The Packers shouldn’t throw too much money at a cornerback in his position.

Finally, there are options. Who, you ask? How about fellow Seahawks-cut Jeremy Lane. Richard Sherman wasn’t the only player released by Seattle on Friday. Lane might not have the resume of Sherman, but he’s a solid cornerback who could give the Packers a veteran to lead the younger talent.

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Other cornerbacks available that the Packers should keep an eye on are Bashaud Breeland and Malcolm Butler, as well as Trumaine Johnson.

Richard Sherman is a remarkable talent who’s had a fantastic career so far. The Green Bay Packers shouldn’t pursue him in 2018 though. Not only are there red flags, but the cornerback market is strong enough that they can rebuild their secondary with other names.