Richard Sherman says Farewell to the "Legion of Boom"
- Mar 11, 2018
- 2 min read
Richard Sherman, 49ers Warrior or Achilles?
Sherman was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 5th round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Sherman has been a coveted member of the “legion of boom” since then, and was a contributing factor in the Seahawks defence crowned the best in the NFL in 2013. That season, and with that defence leading the way, the Seahawks were crowned Superbowl champions.
In 2014 Sherman became the highest paid defensive player in the NFL signing a $57.4 Million contract with $30 Million guaranteed.
In 2016 Sherman was named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl and was ranked 21st out of 100 players by his peers.
In 2017 Sherman was bothered by an Achilles problem, which was initially sustained during a week matchup against the LA Rams. Sherman tried to manage the injury and did so until rupturing it in a week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals which took him out of the 2017 season.
On March 7th it was reported that Sherman wouldn’t be returning to the Seahawks after sources reported that he was saying farewell to his teammates.
Meeting with the 49ers
Once it was official and Sherman wouldn’t be returning to the Seahawks sources reported that he was meeting with the 49ers and had had dinner with Kyle Shanahan. Even on the face of it, the trade seriously makes sense for the 49ers, they were deficient at the Cornerback position. 49ers GM has said in the past that what he doesn’t want to do is go into the draft having to take a specific position, by adding Sherman, he has negated the need to do that at CB.
The 49ers needed to boost their secondary with big names talents like Sherman. One of the main reasons for this is the move over the last week by the LA Rams and their signing of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, the 49ers need to stay ahead of their rivals.
Whilst he is still recovering from his Achilles rupture, he has however assured the 49ers that he will be ready to take to the field for the beginning of training camp. When you break down the details of Sherman’s contract, it’s clear to see he is backing himself 100% (and bear in mind Sherman represents himself in contract negotiations) as his contract is laden with incentives for example:
He has $3 Million in roster playtime bonuses
$3 Million if he is selected to the Pro Bowl
Sherman had said publicly before signing that he wanted to play for a team who would be a contender in 2018 and beyond. There is no doubt that Jimmy G has been a major selling point for Sherman, and seeing what the 49ers, with Jimmy under center did for the last 5 games of the season, it’s clear to see they are making the right moves. On top of that, Maqruise Goodwin, their star WR was signed to a three year extension, meaning the 49ers go into 2018 with continuity, talent and confidence making it a shining proposition for any free agent.
The icing on the cake for Sherman, the 49ers will face the Seahawks twice in the 2018 season.
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