The Richard Sherman trade talk didn’t result in a trade this offseason, but things got serious enough for Sherman to daydream about where he might land. When things were bubbling earlier this year, Sherman told friends that he “allowed himself to imagine playing for the Cowboys,” Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com writes. 
We have no indication that there were ever talks between the Cowboys and Seahawks, but Sherman would have been a logical fit for Dallas on a football level. The Cowboys’ secondary was picked apart in free agency this year as cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr left along with safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. Cowboys did draft three cornerbacks to help replenish that group, but a similar approach didn’t do a whole lot for the Panthers last year. The addition of Sherman would give them a bonafide CB1 alongside Orlando Scandrick and immediately cement them as one of the best overall defenses in the league.
Of course, there would have been many barriers to a potential trade. For starters, the Cowboys were very tight against the cap this offseason, which is what caused them to lose talented members of the secondary in the first place. Even now, Dallas has just ~$3.5MM in cap space, according to Over The Cap. Even when considering that the Cowboys wouldn’t be responsible for Sherman’s $2.2MM prorated bonus, he’d still carry a hefty $11.431MM cap charge for 2017.
In addition to making room for Sherman under the cap, the Cowboys would have also had to part with a significant amount of draft capital in order to acquire him. At one point, the Seahawks’ asking price was reportedly a first-round pick in the 2017 and a conditional mid-rounder in 2018. That ask, understandably, was too rich for anyone’s blood.
A trade sending Sherman to Dallas was probably never going to happen, but the fact that he was picturing himself in a Cowboys jersey tells us that the trade talk was indeed serious. And, if Sherman and the Seahawks are unable to mend fences, his affinity for the Cowboys is something to keep in mind for next offseason. If Sherman declines, the Seahawks could release him and save $11MM while carrying just $2MM in dead money. If he continues to play like a top cornerback but is still at odds with the team, the Cowboys may have the cap flexibility to get something done.
Why has Sherman been wanting a trade?
He was unhappy with the Seahawk’s front office
Because it’s unlikely we pick up his option after this year, and he won’t be making that kind of money under a new contract year-to-year. If another team traded for him, they would more likely be buying him for this year and the next.
Richard has a restless mind. He creates conflict internally and then projects it at whatever his target at the time happens to be. He will never be satisfied unless things always go just like he wants. Even then it’s certain he’d find something to complain about.
This would be a mistake from a salary cap standpoint.
Wait. First he wanted a Patriots trade then he wanted a Cowboys trade? This sounds like total nonsense.
He pictured himself w/ both the Patriots and Cowboys, per the ESPN article. I didn’t mention Pats here b/c that was previously reported.
Cowboys also have Anthony Brown who was a 6th round pick last year and started games for them last season. He was impressive and is potentially a solid #2 behind Scandrick