Here are today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: LS Don Muhlbach
The Seahawks plan to release cornerback DeShawn Shead on Monday after his contract tolls to give him a chance to become an unrestricted free agent, 950 KJR in Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree hears from the player’s agent Cameron Foster. 
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link), the Seahawks are honoring their statement to allow him to become a free agent despite the NFL recently deciding that his contract should toll. Shead has a meeting scheduled with the Lions, but Henderson also adds the team is hoping to bring back the veteran cornerback, who missed all but two games in 2017 in his return from tearing his ACL in a playoff game against Atlanta in January. The move is not related to the team’s recent defensive transactions that have seen the departures of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and Jeremy Lane.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, a player’s contract will toll — roll over to the 2018 season — if a player in the final year of his contract remains on the physically unable to perform list past the sixth game of the season. A restricted free agent in 2016, Shead signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks for $1.2 MM. He would be owed that same amount in 2018 if his contract tolled. Foster commended the team for the move.
“They called me and they said, ‘just giving you a heads up that we’re going to release DeShawn on Monday, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want him. That means we are living up to our word and we’re going to release him, otherwise his contract would be required to toll.’ So kudos to the Seahawks for doing the right thing.”
Shead signed with the Seahawks in 2012 after going undrafted coming out of Portland State. The following season he was promoted from the practice team and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos. In 2016, he started 15 games and registered an interception with 14 passes defensed.
Well that didn’t take long. Just a day after being released from the Seahawks, Richard Sherman found a new home by signing a three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (Twitter link). 
Sherman’s deal is worth $39 MM over three seasons, including a $5 MM signing bonus, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets the deal includes a $2 MM base salary, $2 MM in 46-man roster bonuses, $1 MM playtime incentives and a $3 MM Pro Bowl incentive. He adds that if Sherman makes the Pro Bowl in 2018, another $16 MM in base salary for 2019-20 becomes guaranteed.
The veteran cornerback told ESPN’s Josina Anderson earlier in the day that he was discussing a deal with the Bay Area side (Twitter link). Less than an hour later, the deal was done.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials.
The results of the physical must have been good. The cornerback is currently rehabbing from a torn Achilles in one leg and had surgery to remove a bone spur in the other. Sherman tabbed June as a potential timeframe for when he can return to training.
Sherman reportedly had drawn interest from a number of teams and was even said to be scheduling a visit to meet with the Lions, but the 49ers didn’t let the star cornerback leave the room. He will now get to suit up for the team he tormented for seven seasons with its NFC West division foe. With the move, Sherman will also reunite with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was a defensive assistant in Seattle from 2011-13.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Richard Sherman‘s first meeting of free agency must have gone well. The veteran cornerback is discussing a potential three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Josina Anderson hears from Sherman (Twitter link). 
At 7:30 P.M. EST, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager also tweeted the Sherman was currently in a room with 49ers executives, including general manager John Lynch.
After being released from the Seahawks yesterday, Sherman scheduled a meeting with the 49ers for Friday night and met with team brass. Though it was reported the three-time First Team All-Pro was looking to set up a meeting with Detroit, it sounds like he might have to cancel those plans. This is not your typical rumor, also, since the reported source is Sherman himself.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials. The veteran cornerback is still rehabbing from an Achilles injury and a minor surgery to remove a bone spur. He has put his own timeline on when he expects to be back, penciling in a return to training in June.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Nothing is official but it appears an agreement to keep Sherman in the NFC West could come down at any time.
On Wednesday, the Cowboys cut defensive end Benson Mayowa after two seasons with the team. On Saturday, he scheduled his first meeting with a potential new squad in the Redskins, ESPN’s John Keim tweets. 
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, per Keim’s sources. After signing with the Cowboys in 2016, Mayowa produced his finest season as a pro by recording six sacks in his first season with the team. That production tailed off in 2017, resulting in just one sack in 14 games. By releasing the fifth-year pass rusher, Dallas freed up $2.75 MM in cap room while leaving just $1 MM in dead money.
Should Mayowa find a home with Washington, it would follow a recent trend of Cowboys defensive linemen heading to the Redskins. After a career year in 2013, defensive tackle Jason Hatcher made the move and played just two seasons before calling it quits. In 2017, Terrell McClain joined the fold after making 15 starts the previous season in Dallas. He produced just two sacks in 12 games this past season.
Muhammad Wilkerson‘s free agency tour has logged three Central Time Zone stops, and the eighth-year defender will next be making a trip back east when he meets with the Redskins.
But the veteran defensive end has not been shy about being eager to see what the market looks like, and a trip to a third time zone could be next. The Raiders are also interested in Wilkerson, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The parties have yet to schedule a visit, but Wilkerson is set to embark on his fourth trip — to Washington D.C. after he wraps up a Kansas City meeting — and reports have indicated he’s open to more. The legal tampering period opening on Monday could complicate matters, with a slew of UFAs now available to speak with teams, but Wilkerson is one of the best interior defenders on the market.
The Raiders will use a 4-3 scheme under Paul Guenther, but the Saints do as well. Wilkerson sounds amenable to playing in a 4-3 set for the first time, if the money is right.
Oakland re-signed Justin Ellis on Friday but could be losing Denico Autry in free agency and has Mario Edwards entering a contract year. And the second-round investment the franchise made in Jihad Ward two years ago has not yet panned out.
Richard Sherman‘s 49ers tour began with a dinner with Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials. After undergoing Achilles surgery in November, Sherman underwent a procedure to remove a bone spur in his other heel last month. Barrows notes the soon-to-be 30-year-old cornerback plans to be running at full speed again at some point in April. Sherman plans to be ready to participate in training camp. Sherman may or may not have a Lions visit scheduled.
Here’s the latest from the West divisions as the legal tampering period looms in less than 48 hours.
- Despite the 49ers pursuing Sherman, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com does not expect the team to go after Trumaine Johnson. He doesn’t expect the 28-year-old defender, and one who will command big money next week, to fit into the 49ers’ model of aiming for sustained success. San Francisco, though, has more than $70MM in cap space and has a need at corner. Maiocco, though, notes the 49ers are “extremely excited” about 2017 third-rounder Ahkello Witherspoon‘s development. Witherspoon graded as a top-50 Pro Football Focus corner last season in 660 snaps. It looks like he could be one of San Francisco’s starters next season opposite a UFA acquisition.
- One player Witherspoon may not be guarding twice next year is Paul Richardson. The UFA wide receiver sent out a tweet that certainly makes it look like he won’t be playing for the Seahawks next season. A 2014 second-round pick who didn’t impress much until his contract year, Richardson caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns last season and is expected to have a competitive market. And the Seahawks still have Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett under contract. However, this wouldn’t be the first time a Seahawks wideout indicated he was likely headed out the door only to return to Seattle. Jermaine Kearse was more declarative about departing the Pacific Northwest in 2016 before re-signing to stay in his home state shortly after.
- Tom Cable would prefer the Raiders retain Marshawn Lynch for a second season, Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area reports. Oakland’s new offensive line coach, of course, worked with the running back during his peak years. Nothing has been decided on Lynch yet. The soon-to-be 32-year-old back is due a $4MM base salary in 2018 if he remains on the Raiders’ roster. He’s due a $1MM roster bonus on March 18.
Two stops on Richard Sherman‘s itinerary have now emerged. The free agent cornerback has scheduled a visit with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Sherman’s 49ers meeting began on Friday night and is ongoing, but the three-time All-Pro is doing due diligence as a first-time free agent, it appears.
Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, however, tweets Sherman told her he and the Lions have not slotted a date for this summit yet.
It’s unclear if Sherman is planning to examine the market through a wide lens or if he would be open to completing a deal after one of his early stops. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported the 49ers could end up being Sherman’s only visit, but preliminary interest has come Sherman’s way from the Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers and Packers thus far.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman appeared in indicate he’d like to survey the market.
“This will be an ongoing process and I am excited to take on this challenge,” the 29-year-old corner wrote (on Twitter). “To the fans urging me to join your team, I am humbled but I can only look at the teams that have reached out.”
The Lions have an entrenched CB1 in Darius Slay, a 2017 All-Pro, but have a need opposite the recently extended talent. Sherman, who will turn 30 later this month, landed on the All-Pro team from 2012-14.
Holding around $27MM in cap space, the Lions are well behind the 49ers ($70MM-plus) in this running. But this could develop into more than a two-team race for a strong candidate to land on the 2010s’ all-decade team.
Su’a Cravens may remain available despite Jay Gruden insisting the Redskins intend to keep him in the fold.
The Redskins are setting the price high to move Cravens, who still has three years remaining on his rookie deal. Washington’s aiming to land a third-round pick for the player it selected in the 2016 second round, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
This price could ensure Cravens stays in Washington, given his absence from football in 2017, but the Broncos did express interest in a potential deal. It’s possible this price tag scared off Denver, which is set to return safety starters Darian Stewart and Justin Simmons. The Broncos do have a need at linebacker, where Cravens played part-time as a rookie, but it’s unclear how far these talks progressed.
Washington turned to fourth-round rookie Montae Nicholson last season alongside D.J. Swearinger, and the team just re-signed Deshazor Everett. So, the Redskins in a bit better spot at safety than they were when Cravens last played.
A fourth known suitor for Muhammad Wilkerson has emerged, and others are on the horizon. The former Jets defensive end will visit the Redskins after his Chiefs summit concludes, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
The eighth-year defensive lineman has already met with the Packers and Saints, and La Canfora reports other teams are hoping to speak with the 28-year-old free agent.
Wilkerson planned on casting a wide net as a first-time unaffiliated NFLer, and he’s proceeding on that schedule. The Redskins, like the Packers and Chiefs, use a 3-4 scheme. The Saints are the only team he’s met with thus far that do not, but it doesn’t sound like that would be a deal-breaker for he nor a team judging by the market that’s developed for the seven-year Jets cog.
Washington has the most cap space of any of the known prospective Wilkerson buyers, sitting at $31MM-plus. The Redskins have some capable defensive ends but no one on Wilkerson’s level, at least Wilkerson at his best. While it’s not known if he’ll return to that form, several teams are betting he can help their defensive fronts.