Seahawks Sign Cyril Grayson
- LSU’s Cyril Grayson, who also has a background in track, has signed with the Seahawks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The seven-time All-American hasn’t played football since 2011, but he did run a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day last week, writes Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com.
Does Richard Sherman Make Sense For Chargers?
- The Chargers acquiring Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman “makes too much sense to ever happen,” writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Besides Sherman’s connection with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Florio notes that the California native’s temperament would benefit a team that’s seeking “a dynamic personality.” The writer wonders if the Chargers’ 38th-overall pick would be of any interest to Seattle.
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Seahawks’ Richard Sherman Asked For Trade
Here’s a new development. Apparently, the Richard Sherman trade talk was sparked by a request from the cornerback himself, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears. 
“It has been my understanding all along that Richard Sherman was the one who initiated this. He was the one that wanted to be traded initially. The Seahawks were obliging him and his request,” Schefter said on ESPN moments ago.
To this point, the general consensus has been that the Seahawks were shopping Sherman in order to potentially unload his cumbersome contract and get him out of the locker room after clashing with head coach Pete Carroll. Both of those points may be “pros” on the Seahawks’ t-chart, but it apparently was Sherman who got the ball rolling on this trade business to begin with.
This morning, we learned that Sherman wants to join a contender, if he’s traded. One major contending club has apparently bowed out of the sweepstakes, however. The Patriots are not presently interested in acquiring Sherman.
Latest On Seahawks CB Richard Sherman
Tony Romo dominated the bandwidth here at Pro Football Rumors to begin the week, but it’s been all Richard Sherman as of late. The Seahawks cornerback has been discussed with rival teams, GM John Schneider has confirmed, and a (lofty) asking price has been set. For what it’s worth, Sherman has flip-flopped publicly on whether he thinks he’ll wind up getting traded, but he’s now found a diplomatic and measured middle ground.
Will Sherman get traded? Where might he wind up? Here’s the latest on the leader of the Legion of Boom:
- Now that he’s a bit more realistic about the possibility of a trade, Sherman has given some thought as to where he might like to play. Unsurprisingly, if he gets dealt, he wants to go to a contender. “Richard Sherman is talking to some people,” Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald told PFT. “He wants to play in Super Bowls or have a chance to compete in Super Bowls, so he has some degree of leverage as to where this train goes.” Salguero presently does not see a trade coming together because of Seattle’s high sticker price.
- The best timing for a Sherman trade would be during the draft, Mike Florio of PFT opines. If Seattle trades for a particular pick ahead of time, they’ll potentially be telegraphing their desired target, and that could leave them open to getting leapfrogged. Pulling the trigger while the draft is in progress would help the Seahawks guarantee that their man is still on the board. Alternatively, Florio suggests a hush-hush handshake agreement between the Seahawks and another team on a deal that is contingent on Player X being available at Pick Y. Of course, that would require a high level of secrecy, and a deal of this magnitude could be hard to keep under wraps.
- Former NFL executive and current ESPN.com analyst Joe Banner sees the Darrelle Revis trade of 2013 as a possible comp for a Sherman deal. The Jets received a first-round pick in 2013 and a fourth-round pick in 2014 in exchange for the corner. Meanwhile, Sheil Kapadia huddled up with his fellow beat writers to figure out landing spots that would make sense for Sherman. The writers say the Saints, Packers, Titans, and Patriots all make varying degrees of sense.
Seahawks’ Trevone Boykin Arrested Again
For the second time in 11 days, Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin found himself under arrest. After a March 27 arrest for suspicion of public intoxication and marijuana possession, authorities picked up Boykin on a possible parole violation today in Texas, TMZ reports.
He was reportedly on probation at the time of last month’s arrest. The parole stems from his guilty plea to a 2015 resisting-arrest charge. He was released on $2,500 bond. Boykin, 23, awaits a May 3 arraignment and faces up to a year in jail, per TMZ.
While this is not as serious as the other arrests, it adds to a growing list of off-the-field trouble for the former TCU standout. Boykin worked as Russell Wilson‘s backup last season, and Pete Carroll said “early indications” pointed to Boykin having another chance in Seattle despite the March arrest. Carroll added the caveat of “we’ll see what happens,” however, and this latest incident won’t help matters.
Seahawks Set Asking Price For Richard Sherman
The Seahawks have told teams they’ll only part with Richard Sherman if they receive “a very good player plus a high draft pick,” an NFL source tells Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. When considered in tandem with the cornerback’s hefty contract, that’s a major expenditure for any interested team. 
While the Sherman trade talk has been bubbling for weeks, the latest news on that front has made it seem as though a deal is unlikely. Sherman himself has vacillated between being nonchalant and serious about the trade rumors, but his most recent comments indicate that he doesn’t see a deal going down. Meanwhile, the Patriots seem to be out on Sherman for the time being. Now that we know Seattle is seeking a big haul, the odds of a deal don’t feel quite as high as they did earlier this week.
Sherman’s deal calls for cap hits of $13.63MM and $13.2MM in each of the next two seasons. However, if a team trades for him, they won’t be on the hook for his $2.2MM prorated bonus. With an $11.431MM cap charge (adjusted for the bonus deduction), Sherman would have the ninth-highest cap hit for any corner in the NFL this year, which is a bit more palatable than his current No. 4 position.
Albert Breer On Sherman, Draft, 49ers
Seahawks GM John Schneider says that the trade rumors surrounding Richard Sherman are “real,” but the star cornerback isn’t too concerned.
“Very little chance it happens, but both sides are listening,” Sherman told Albert Breer of The MMQB. “I honestly don’t have much more to say about it than what I’ve already said. We have a great relationship, . . . There is a lot of love and respect. There is no bad blood.”
Now that the Patriots are no longer interested in Sherman, it’s possible that the odds of a trade have decreased. Then again, plenty of teams will be interested in adding a high-level talent like him.
Here’s more from Breer:
- Alabama pass rusher Tim Williams is a Top 10 talent, but Breer would be surprised if he goes in the first round due to his off-field red flags. “He’s up there with the top pure pass rushers,” said one area scout. “The real question is his personality, and the trust factor with teams. The problems aren’t rare, it’s more whether the team can trust the person. Can he work through the problems? Is he smart enough to work through the problems?” Breer notes that problems with previous high-profile pass rushers like Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith, Greg Hardy, and Dion Jordan aren’t helping Williams’ case.Williams admitted at the combine to failing tests in college and has a gun charge in his past.
- Breer expects new 49ers GM John Lynch to try and deal down to get more picks. He has heard “from a number of people” that the Niners like Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster and LSU running back Leonard Fournette.
- Because of the perceived depth of the draft and lack of excitement about the top quarterbacks, it’s a mild market in terms of teams looking to move up.
- Controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is likely to go in round two or three, Breer hears.
Patriots Not Interested In Richard Sherman
For those of you dreaming of Richard Sherman in red, white, and blue, we have some bad news. The Patriots are not interested in trading for him, according to a source who spoke with Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. 
Seahawks GM John Schneider admits that Sherman trade talks is “real” and we know that the Patriots, at one point, called Seattle about a potential deal. Yesterday, was said that the Patriots would only engage in a full-on pursuit if they wound up losing star cornerback Malcolm Butler this offseason. As it stands, however, it sounds like the Patriots have cooled on Sherman overall. That could be an indication that Butler will not be heading to the Saints, but that’s just my own speculation.
Interestingly, as Sherman finds himself in an awkward situation with the Seahawks, he is acting as his own agent. Sherman was a client of agent Ben Dogra when he signed his lucrative extension with Seattle, but he did not bother to hire a new rep after Dogra was hit with NFLPA sanctions.
Seahawks Rumors: Sherman, Chancellor, Schneider
Earlier today, Seahawks general manager John Schneider confirmed the Richard Sherman trade talks are “real,” citing a need for open communication with his star corner. The Patriots are known to have interest in Sherman, but New England reportedly won’t aggressively pursue the 29-year-old unless it loses fellow cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes out of Seattle, including items on Sherman and one of his defensive backfield mates:
- While the odds remain in favor of Sherman suiting up for the Seahawks in 2017, the club simply wants to maintain a “direct dialogue” with him, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. That’s especially important given that Sherman is acting as his own representation for the time being. Sherman never found another agent after Ben Dogra was hit with NFLPA sanctions. No contract is being discussed in the Sherman situation (unless the Patriots or another wants to rework his deal), but Seattle presumably wants to keep Sherman in the loop as it discusses his future.
- Sherman’s brother, who also acts as the manager of the Richard Sherman Family Foundation, believes a trade would be welcomed by the Seahawks corner, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “[The Seahawks] are making it seem like they don’t need him,” said Branton Sherman. “This is the same player that everyone doubted and denied, saying he’s too tall, too slow, his hips aren’t good enough, fifth-rounder. This is a new chip Richard is going to use. He’s going to be like, ‘You think you can trade me? I’m going to show you guys. That you would even talk about trading me…’ This is a new obstacle, mentally.”
- A potential Sherman trade is the most pressing matter for the Seahawks at present, but the club may also be considering an extension for safety Kam Chancellor, as Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes. Head coach Pete Carroll admitted Seattle may want to get a deal done with Chancellor, who is entering the final year of his contract, but terms may be difficult to agree to. Chancellor will likely be looking to match or exceed the four-year, ~$55MM deal the Dolphins recently handed to Reshad Jones, per Kapadia, but the franchise tag could also be an option in 2018.
Patriots Rumors: Sherman, Peterson, Gronk
The latest on the Patriots:
- The Patriots didn’t just have Adrian Peterson in for a visit on Monday, they also put him through a tryout, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. Peterson left New England without a contract, but it has been said that the two sides could revisit a deal later. New England’s running back group currently consists of free agent addition Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis, James White, and D.J. Foster. The team could also still circle back to LeGarrette Blount and Branden Bolden.
- The Patriots have some interest in Richard Sherman, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter), but they’re not expected to engage in a full-on pursuit unless they lose Malcolm Butler. Other teams have pursued the Seahawks star more aggressively to this point, Howe adds. On Wednesday, Seattle GM John Schneider publicly admitted that the trade talk surrounding Sherman is “real.” Sherman, has two years left on a hefty four-year extension he signed in 2014, but any team trading for him would only be on the hook for his base salary and not his prorated signing bonus.
- Earlier this week, we learned that Patriots tight end and professional wrestling enthusiast Rob Gronkowski expects to be ready for OTAs.