Dallas Cowboys: Is Richard Sherman a free agent target?
Outside of re-signing their quarterback, Dak Prescott, either to a long-term deal or the franchise tag again, the Dallas Cowboys aren’t expected to be major players in free agency this offseason. Especially considering how poorly their free-agent signings went for them in 2020.
Still, with a new defensive coordinator joining the club earlier this year in Dan Quinn, plus recent defensive coaching staff hires in Joe Whitt Jr. in the secondary and Aden Durde along the defensive line, the Cowboys’ brass is expected to get their new arrivals some veteran help.
With that in mind, there’s one big name that is scheduled to hit the open market in March that could help shorten the learning curve of Quinn’s new defensive scheme in Dallas.
As one of the prominent names in the Legion of Boom, cornerback Richard Sherman played for Quinn during the latter’s brief stint as a defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Their pairing resulted in two Super Bowl appearances in back-to-back seasons, with both hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in 2014.
Sherman is a five-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, and the 2014 NFC Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also turning 33-years old in March.
The 10-year veteran cornerback has spent the past three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, helping them make a Super Bowl run in 2019. Sherman subsequently earned a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts that year, proving he still has plenty left in the tank.
The Cowboys could certainly use Sherman’s services. Dallas is scheduled to lose three cornerbacks to free agency themselves in March, with Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and C.J. Goodwin all set to hit the open market. Rather than retaining players from the previous regime, Dallas might simply elect to go with a veteran like Sherman who’s played for Quinn before.
The savvy Sherman, a Stanford alum, serves as his own agent. But he might meet his match in Cowboys’ owner and general manager, Jerry Jones when it comes to the art of negotiation. Sherman is also coming off a season where a calf injury limited him to five games. He posted just 18 total tackles and an interception for the Niners in 2020.
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It’s easy to see how someone like Richard Sherman could become like a coach on the field for Dann Quinn and company in Dallas. At 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, the veteran defender could perhaps even shift from corner to safety to give this secondary the ball-hawking playmaker it so desperately needs at the position.