The 2018 NFL free agent class may be just average as a whole, but it won't be without some surprise big names.
Headlining those names is that of Richard Sherman, the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback who first stunned Seattle Seahawks fans this week by telling teammates goodbye and then, days after fellow Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett was shipped out of town, found himself on the open market after reportedly being told he was released on Friday, a casualty of his team's veteran purge.
The market for Sherman figures to be big. While the veteran will soon turn 30 and is coming off back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, he's still a four-time All-Pro who played a major role in Seattle's esteemed "Legion of Boom" secondary.
Here, we've attempted to narrow the field, identifying the five most likely -- and logical -- landing spots for the all-star cover man:
1. New England Patriots
The Patriots need someone to pair with Stephon Gilmore, especially considering Malcolm Butler is on the way out, and New England has extended feelers for Sherman before. This kind of move could fit under their salary cap, and it would also confirm that the Pats, coming off their fourth Super Bowl in seven years, are still bent on squeezing every last drop of championship potential out of their time with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
2. San Francisco 49ers
If this doesn't feel like a Richard Sherman kind of thing to do, then what does? Yes, the longtime Seahawk will always have a place in history as the guy who trashed a certain "sorry" Niners receiver, but in San Fran, he'd get the chance not only to be a major part of a defense with money to blow but to play Seattle at least twice a season. It can be argued that no one is better positioned to offer big bucks to a free agent corner than John Lynch, so if Sherman were willing to endure the hiccups that could come with the 49ers reshaping their "D," he'd surely be welcomed.
3. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders aren't exactly flush with cap space, but Jon Gruden and Co. feel exactly like the kind of organization that would embrace a player like Sherman -- his character and his talent, which would be a welcome addition to a cornerback room in need of plenty of help. The AFC West is also as wide open as they come, so it's not as if the veteran would necessarily be sacrificing a chance at playoff contention. And if his old pal Marshawn Lynch sticks around, there's even more reason to believe he'd prefer staying on the West Coast.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
This is the rare Sherman suitor that doesn't have a pressing need at corner. Between Casey Hayward and rookie revelations Trevor Williams and Desmond King, the Chargers shouldn't be dying for an upgrade, especially if they believe Jason Verrett can overcome his injuries. It's also not every day that someone of Sherman's caliber becomes available, and coach Gus Bradley, remember, has obvious ties to the Seattle secondary of old. The feeling here is that Sherman would blend seamlessly into a Chargers uni, not to mention elevate L.A. as a contender.
5. Kansas City Chiefs
Another AFC West team! Here's the thing: There are plenty of other clubs with more money -- the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- that also have reason to make a pitch. But none of them, except for maybe Houston, which drew Sherman's ire for its owner's comments in 2017, offers the playoff potential that Kansas City does. The Chiefs are fresh off trading away another outspoken corner, Marcus Peters, but coach Andy Reid seems like the kind of guy Sherman would love to play for, and his team is still eyeing an immediate postseason run in 2018.