Don't expect Richard Sherman to be suiting up for a different team next season. At least, don't expect that if you think you can take NFL general managers at their word.
Seahawks GM John Schneider, who has been very open about the fact that the Seahawks were not only taking calls on Sherman, but making calls as well, said Friday on ESPN Radio that he does not foresee a Sherman trade happening at this point.
GM John Schneider was asked about a Richard Sherman trade on 710 ESPN Seattle. "Right now, I don't think the odds are very good," he said.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2017
Sherman initially laughed off reports of a possible trade, but later began to take it more seriously. That was before it was reported that Sherman was the one that actually asked out of Seattle, and not the other way around. Even at that point, though, Sherman acknowledged that there was little chance of a trade.
"Very little chance [a trade] happens, but both sides are listening," Sherman said at the time. "I honestly don't have much more to say about it than what I've already said. We (Sherman and Seahawks management) have a great relationship. … There is a lot of love and respect. There is no bad blood."
Sherman is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but it's possible that the offers in exchange for his services weren't quite up to snuff because there is a perception -- right or wrong -- that he is partly a creation of the Seahawks' system. Seattle plays a lot of Cover-3, so the in-breaking routes that give taller corners like Sherman trouble often aren't his responsibility in coverage. On another team, that might not be the case.
Still, the Seahawks may have tried at various times to deal him, but that doesn't mean they won't happily benefit from having him on the field next season.
