San Francisco 49ers: Richard Sherman a gamble well worth taking

Richard Sherman comes with something of a risk having had Achilles surgery, but he is a gamble well worth taking for the San Francisco 49ers.

Free agency has not even opened yet, and the San Francisco 49ers have already pulled off the biggest signing of the offseason by signing former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman Per multiple reports, Sherman agreed to a three-year $39 million contract in a deal few could have ever envisioned happening when the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry was at its height, a time when Sherman was public enemy number one among San Francisco fans.

But, while the signing is a spectacular face turn for Sherman, who famously made the game-winning play and then publicly rebuked Michael Crabtree in the NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and Seahawks in 2014, it is also a gamble on a player who turns 30 this month and is coming off Achilles surgery.

The full contract details are still to emerge, but it is unlikely the 49ers would have agreed to commit such outlay for Sherman were they unhappy with his physical situation. And, while the signing does come with risk, it is one that figures to pay huge dividends if Sherman stays healthy.

Long considered one of the top lockdown corners in the NFL, Sherman was still excellent last season despite his injury issues. Per Matt Harmon of NFL.com, he allowed a passer rating of just 42.0 and a completion rate of 38.5 percent in his coverage.

Sherman is also a perfect scheme fit for the 49ers, as he is extremely familiar with the Cover 3 system employed by San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh — a former Seattle assistant — and, at 6-3 and 195 pounds, has the length to excel in it as he has done for years with the Seahawks.

His abilities in shutting down opposing receivers should allow the likes of DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead more time to pressure the quarterback. Yet, perhaps more important than his undoubted talent and his fit in the defense is the impact Sherman’s experience will have on this young team.

He will instantly become the leader this inexperienced defense requires and should be able to help bring the best out of Ahkello Witherspoon, who is likely to start across from him after an extremely promising rookie year.

Sherman can also be a positive influence for Reuben Foster, the linebacker certainly appearing in need of a mentor to help keep him on the right path off the field after a pair of offseason arrests.

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Given Sherman’s recent injuries, it stands to reason that the 49ers will add another rookie corner into the mix to develop and act as insurance. Still, though the initial contract numbers may seem high, for a player who can have such a transformative impact on the secondary and in the locker room, it is a gamble well worth taking.