How Chicago Bears benefit from Richard Sherman hitting the market

Richard Sherman is about to become available via trade or free agency, and that’s great for the cornerback-needy Chicago Bears for a few reasons.

Among the needs for the Chicago Bears heading into this season is finding at least one cornerback, assuming they’re able to retain soon-to-be-free-agent Kyle Fuller.

And now, a long-anticipated domino might be about to drop that drastically affects the cornerback market this offseason.

All-Pro Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman looks like he will be leaving the team either via trade or free agency, per sources.

In fact, a Twitter post from Seahawks corner Jeremy Lane backs this up as he suggests that Sherman texted him to let him know that he won’t return to Seattle.

Sherman has been featured in trade rumors for some time now as the Seahawks likely want to get out of the $13.2 million cap hit he’ll carry in 2018. The fact that the 29-year-old missed the last portion of the season after tearing his Achilles likely hastened this move.

And if the Seahawks opt to cut him, they’ll save about $11 million. So one way or another, Sherman will probably be gone.

Just like that, the cornerback market just got far more interesting.

Now, I know what the first reaction to this news will be: “Ryan Pace needs to go get Sherman now!”

Well, that would certainly be a fun move, wouldn’t it? And Sherman, when healthy, would fit Vic Fangio’s defense very well. In fact, the Bears ran a ton of the Cover 3/press-man hybrid defense last season that Seattle made famous with the long, rangy Sherman.

And Sherman has suggested that he should be able to run by April and is on track to play by training camp. So…go do that deal, right?

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Truthfully, that probably isn’t going to happen.

First of all, the Bears won’t be willing to trade for Sherman, particularly if they have to give up multiple picks to the Seahawks.

And secondly, if Sherman hits free agency, he’s already expressed a desire to play for contenders like the New England Patriots. The Bears probably wouldn’t be his speed.

The way Sherman really impacts the Chicago Bears, though, is shifting teams’ focus away from Kyle Fuller.

The Bears already believed that they could keep Fuller on a long-term deal, which could happen soon. That’s likely why they used the transition tag on him, as it pays less money than the franchise tag and retrieves no draft compensation if they lose him.

With Sherman hitting the market, along with Trumaine Johnson, that could drive Fuller’s price down. And that, of course, would make it easier for the Bears to re-sign him to a deal that pays him well yet remains team-friendly.

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So, sorry guys. I wish I had more of a “the Chicago Bears are totally getting Richard Sherman” take, but I don’t. That said, his leaving Seattle just made the Bears and Fuller’s reunion that much more likely.

Look on the bright side!