Cowboys rumors: Richard Sherman reuniting with Dan Quinn in Dallas?

The Cowboys need to find secondary help this offseason and rumors suggest that cornerback Richard Sherman could reunite with Dan Quinn in free agency.

Excitement over adding CeeDee Lamb in last year’s NFL Draft masked the fact that the Dallas Cowboys had to wait until the second round to address an ailing secondary. Trevon Diggs, luckily, fell to them and played well as his rookie season progressed. But now entering 2021 NFL free agency, Dallas has even bigger questions to answer in the secondary.

With Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and a couple of other cornerbacks set to hit free agency, the Cowboys are going to have to replenish that group via the draft and free agency. Luckily, new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn might be able to lure one of the bigger names at the position on the open market: Richard Sherman.

In a pre-free agency roundup of rumors and buzz, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler noted (subscription required) that Sherman could look for familiarity as he searches for a new team this offseason. The Cowboys and Raiders were mentioned as two possible options with Sherman’s experience with Quinn in Seattle as the selling point.

Set to be 33 years old this season, Sherman has suited up and played incredibly well for the 49ers over the past few years, even off a torn Achilles. He’s one of the smartest cornerbacks in the league and his savvy is on display with his physical play. And that’s something Dallas should be heavily interested in attaining.

Richard Sherman would be a hugely important addition to the Cowboys defense.

For starters, Sherman hasn’t stopped being a highly effective NFL cornerback. In 2019, he was the highest-graded cornerback in the league with San Francisco according to PFF (subscription required). Even coming off the injury in 2018 and playing with various ailments in 2020, though, Sherman was still in the top-third among cornerback grades.

That alone would be a boost for a secondary in Dallas that has struggled as a whole in recent years. Quinn is well aware of what Sherman does well and would put him in the right spots to succeed, which could make for a big jump in the effectiveness of the defensive backfield.

Sherman’s value goes beyond that, however. With Diggs entering year two and the likely possibility that the Cowboys use another early draft pick on a cornerback to keep adding depth, the veteran could serve as a top-shelf mentor. Again, he’s one of the smartest corners in NFL history, so having young players work, practice and learn with him would be immensely valuable.

Dallas isn’t in the best situation in regards to the salary cap but they have some ways to make some more room. And given the need at cornerback and the Quinn-Richard Sherman connection, it’s hard not to think this wouldn’t be an ideal pairing for the Cowboys in free agency.