Richard Sherman remains unsigned but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reportedly been in contact and could be a perfect spot for the veteran cornerback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is one of the most respected units in the NFL, as they should be considering that they helped pave the way to a Super Bowl victory last year. However, the secondary was one aspect of the team that, though they performed at an extremely high level down the stretch, seemed as if it could regress.
Through two weeks, though not necessarily because of performance but rather due to injury, we’ve seen that a bit.
Sean Murphy-Bunting was placed on IR after Week 1. Moreover, Carlton Davis, arguably the team’s best cornerback, was questionable leading up to Week 2 and had to leave the win over Atlanta a few times. And the depth at the position is a bit concerning. Reinforcements might be on the way, however, in the form of veteran Richard Sherman.
Sherman, now 33 years old, remains unsigned after playing with the 49ers for the last few years (likely, in part, due to an off-field incident for which he was arrested and charged on five misdemeanor counts). However, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians noted that the team has reached out to Sherman about potentially joining Tampa Bay.
A thin, banged up Buccaneers secondary could use a veteran like Richard Sherman
Elephant in the room, Sherman obviously needs to get his legal issues sorted out and his mental health taken care of before he returns to an NFL field.
However, if we’re just talking about the player and what he brings, he could be the perfect guy for the Buccaneers. For one, this is an organization that has taken players with character concerns recently (Antonio Brown) and worked with them without incident since they joined the team. But on top of that, he fills a void on the roster.
Sherman has proven into his early 30s that, though not a speedy or exceptional athlete, he can be a quality and savvy coverage player at cornerback. For a team that is lacking depth and relying on some relatively young players, that presence in the secondary could be incredibly valuable.
It’s a wait-and-see deal with Sherman and the Buccaneers, to be sure. Between the legal issues and the injury status of the players on the roster, there are moving parts that need to be sorted out. But in terms of how the player could help the team, it could be a great landing spot for the veteran cornerback.