Seahawks' Richard Sherman: Released before weekend

The Seahawks are informing Sherman (Achilles) of his release Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Unwilling to pay an $11 million salary to a cornerback coming off a torn Achilles, the Seahawks will at least do Sherman a small favor by releasing him before the beginning of the league year. It means he won't need to wait until March 14 to sign with a new team, potentially giving him a leg up on the other cornerbacks at the top of the market. Sherman will turn 30 at the end of March and faces a battle to be ready by Week 1, but he did continue to play at an elite level last season prior to suffering a torn right Achilles in November. He also had a second surgery in February to remove bone spurs from the Achilles region of his other foot. For what it's worth, Sherman has relayed optimism that he'll be ready for training camp. The Seahawks have made a clear effort to shed pricey, aging defenders, presumably hoping to direct more resources toward Russell Wilson's supporting cast on offense. That being said, the team hasn't ruled out the possibility of re-signing Sherman at a reduced cap figure, ESPN.com's Josina Anderson reports.