Seahawks Discussed Richard Sherman Trade
A couple of weeks ago, longtime NFL executive Michael Lombardi had everyone buzzing when he suggested the Seahawks could consider trading star cornerback Richard Sherman. It’s not clear if Lombardi had direct first-hand knowledge of the situation or if he was mixing his own opinion with league gossip, but it was enough to get people talking. 
Today, coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that teams have in fact called about trading for Sherman and the Seahawks have talked about it (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). However, he added that he doesn’t see a deal going down.
Sherman signed a four year, $56MM contract extension with the Seahawks in May of 2014. There are two years to go on the contract and it’s a whopper of a deal, even for a player of his caliber. Sherman is set to carry a $13.6MM cap number this season and $13.2MM in 2018, putting him fourth amongst all cornerbacks in terms of average annual value. It has been said that the cornerback position is not necessarily at the heart of the Seahawks’ defensive scheme, so that money could be applied elsewhere while the team can also fill holes with draft picks received in a trade. Historically, blockbuster trades have been rare in the NFL, but the Patriots, Saints, Browns, and Texans all bucked the trend this offseason.
Sherman, who turns 29 on Thursday, has not missed a single regular season game since entering the league in 2011. The lifelong Seahawk had 58 total tackles and four interceptions last year while grading out as Pro Football Focus’ 13th best cornerback in the league.
Seahawks Notes: Desir, Aboushi, Ifedi
- Although Seahawks corner Pierre Desir had an opportunity to sign with the Lions last season, he opted to stick on Seattle’s practice squad and has since been re-signed on a futures deal, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (all Twitter links). Seahawks general manager John Schneider pointed to Desir, Neiko Thorpe, and Tampa Bay import Bradley McDougald as key depth pieces that can fill out the secondary.
- Free agent signee Oday Aboushi will begin his Seahawks tenure at right guard, which means Seattle is set to try 2016 first-round pick Germain Ifedii at right tackle, tweets Condotta. Ifedi played tackle at Texas A&M, but shifted to right guard during his rookie campaign. The results were near disastrous, as Ifedi graded as the single worst guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Scot McCloughan Unlikely To Rejoin Seattle
Former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has been in touch with the Seahawks GM John Schneider, but there are “no plans at this time” for McCloughan to rejoin the Seattle front office, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. McCloughan worked for the Seahawks from 2010-13 as a senior personnel executive.
McCloughan, notably, was fired as Washington’s general manager on the first day of free agency earlier this month. Although McCloughan has a history of alcohol abuse, reports vary as to whether that problem reared its head during his run with the Redskins. Mike Jones of the Washington Post was told team management would one day use McCloughan’s drinking as an excuse to fire him. Yesterday, Redskins president Bruce Allen pushed back against reports that McCloughan’s ouster was motivated by jealousy.
Despite any off-field concerns, most around the NFL would agree McCloughan is an excellent talent evaluator. Prior to his stint with the Redskins, McCloughan was the driving force behind the 49ers’ run of success in the early 2010s, and also helped build the Seahawks’ core during his tenure in Seattle. Per Kapadia, McCloughan is currently exploring other opportunities, although it’s unclear if those jobs are in the NFL.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
While it’s possible that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick‘s polarizing views have contributed to his inability to find a job this offseason, at least one team wouldn’t let his politics stand in the way of a deal. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam revealed Monday that he’d be open to adding Kaepernick, reports Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
“If football people came and recommended [him], we’d go with the football people,” said Haslam, though he noted that he and his co-owner and wife, Dee, “have not been involved in any conversations regarding Colin Kaepernick.”
Head coach Hue Jackson has chased Kaepernick in the past, and the Browns’ current veteran QB – Brock Osweiler – might not be on their roster next season. However, Jackson echoed Haslam’s sentiment in telling the NFL Network on Monday that the Browns haven’t had “any discussion” regarding Kaepernick.
Like the Browns, the Broncos also gone after Kaepernick before, but they no longer view him as a fit for their offense (and they like the QBs they have on hand), according to general manager John Elway (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). The potentially backup-needy Lions don’t think Kaepernick is a match for their system, either, per GM Bob Quinn (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
Having drawn no interest from teams in need of a No. 1 passer, it’s clear the 29-year-old Kaepernick, a longtime starter, will have to settle for a reserve role – if anyone signs him. One team that could be in the market for a backup is Seattle, whose No. 2 option, Trevone Boykin, is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a weekend arrest.
The 23-year-old Boykin could easily continue with the Seahawks, but it’s worth noting that Kaepernick has a high opinion of head coach Pete Carroll, a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The two are quite familiar with each other, of course, as Kaepernick spent the first six years of his career with NFC West rival San Francisco and engaged in some memorable tilts with the Seahawks when he was a quality starter and the 49ers were contenders. It’s unclear, though, if Carroll is bullish on Kaepernick or if he’d be willing to ditch Boykin. What is clear, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, is that the Seahawks don’t want to invest much money in a backup for Russell Wilson. That could rule out any chance of a Kaepernick-Seahawks union.
Seahawks Re-Sign LB Dewey McDonald
- The Seahawks have re-signed linebacker Dewey McDonald, an exclusive rights free agent, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The three-year veteran is coming off his first season as a member of the Seahawks, with whom he logged a personal-best 14 appearances and played 63.3 percent of special teams snaps.
Seahawks QB Trevone Boykin Arrested
Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin was arrested early Monday morning after a car crash left eight people with injuries (via ESPN.com). Boykin was a passenger in the car, not the driver, but he is facing misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and public intoxication. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Interested In Forrest Lamp]
The driver, Shabrika Bailey, reversed her car at a high speed at around 2:00 am, hitting pedestrians on the sidewalk and crashing into a bar. Bailey was hit with a host of charges, including a felony. For Boykin, the legal trouble is not quite as serious, but he is on probation stemming from a late 2015 incident in which he allegedly struck a police officer.
Boykin, a TCU product, went undrafted in 2016 but was scooped up by the Seahawks soon after. Serving as a backup to starter Russell Wilson, Boykin completed 13 of 18 passes with one touchdown and one interception.
Seahawks Interested In Forrest Lamp
Offensive lineman Forrest Lamp is starting to look like a Round 1 lock, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Lamp, a Western Kentucky product, will likely play guard in the NFL after playing tackle in college, but he offers versatility that intrigues clubs, as he could slide to the blindside or even to center if needed. The Packers and Vikings both have interest in Lamp, per Pauline, as do the Seahawks. The Falcons, Panthers, and Titans have all put Lamp through a workout, reports Pauline.
Seahawks To Sign LB Terence Garvin
The Seahawks agreed to terms with linebacker Terence Garvin, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks hosted Garvin on a visit Wednesday and, two days later, they have an accord.
Garvin, 27, spent last year with the Redskins and was with the Steelers in the previous three seasons. The veteran has 59 career appearances to his credit, but has only made one start in the NFL. Garvin did the majority of his work on special teams last season. Although he was on the field for all 16 regular season games, he played only 59 defensive snaps.
On Thursday, the Seahawks added another linebacker when they signed former Niner Michael Wilhoite.
Seahawks To Sign Michael Wilhoite
The Seahawks and free agent linebacker Michael Wilhoite have agreed to a contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Seattle had been on the lookout for linebacker depth before its deal with Wilhoite, having met with him, ex-49ers teammate Gerald Hodges and former Redskin and Steeler Terence Garvin in recent days. The Seahawks were already familiar with Wilhoite prior to free agency, as he spent the first five years of his career with NFC West rival San Francisco. Thus far, the 30-year-old Wilhoite has amassed 65 appearances and 36 starts.
After starting in all 28 of his appearances from 2014-15, Wilhoite took on a lesser role last year. While he did log the third 16-game season of his career and play 58.3 of the 49ers’ special teams snaps, he only started in six contents and saw action in 44.3 percent of defensive snaps. As a defender, Wilhoite picked up 46 tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack, and ranked as one of Pro Football Focus’ five worst qualified linebackers in overall performance (though he did earn a respectable grade against the pass).
When the Seahawks’ agreement with Wilhoite becomes official, they’ll have added two linebackers this offseason (the special teams-only Arthur Brown was the first). The team has also lost one, as Brock Coyle signed with the 49ers, while longtime Seahawks reserve Mike Morgan remains without a deal. Regardless, with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright in place, Seattle possesses an elite linebacker corps.
Seahawks Notes: Garvin, Hodges
- The Seahawks hosted linebacker Terence Garvin on a visit Wednesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Garvin, 27, spent last year with Washington and was with the Steelers in the previous three seasons. Garvin has 59 career appearances on his resume but just one start.
- Along with Garvin, the Seahawks met with yet another linebacker, Gerald Hodges, on Wednesday. The two sides “had a good visit,” though there’s no deal yet, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Hodges is coming off a quietly impressive season that saw him tally 80 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in 15 games (12 starts) with San Francisco. He also graded 21st among Pro Football Focus’ 87 qualified linebackers.