Richard Sherman to Vikings Rumors Are Still Alive
Dustin Baker
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Even with Patrick Peterson welcomed to the franchise at an $8 million sum, Richard Sherman to the Minnesota Vikings rumors have not fully ceased.
NFL Rumors — a Twitter account with nearly 30,000 followers — insists that the Vikings are still in the mix for Sherman’s services.
NFL Rumors is not as credible as an Ian Rapaport or Adam Schefter, but the very name of its account is rumors, so perhaps the standard in reporting is acceptable to waver. What’s more, NFL Rumors is not a merchant of garbage — they have been right before.
2019 was the last injury-free season for Sherman — and he was terrific. He notched an 88.9 PFF score then, and that was bolstered by a smoldering 90.1 coverage grade. He only played in five games during the pandemic season as the San Francisco 49ers were relentlessly ravaged by a flurry of endless injuries.
Minnesota employs young cornerbacks in Cameron Dantzler, Jeff Gladney, and Mike Hughes. The Peterson acquisition gives the secondary instant credibility, wisdom, and experience. Richard Sherman — if the Vikings can find the money — would be a cake topper.
Head coach Mike Zimmer adores his cornerbacks, dating back to his defensive-back-coach roots with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.
Now — it is a matter of money. Sherman will not pack his bags for Minnesota at a teensy price tag. He can still play at a high level and could even spend some time at safety. Other older cornerbacks throughout Vikings history have made this transition seamlessly in their “later” years.
The only feasible method to find cap space that would accommodate the addition Sherman [or an offensive lineman] is the extension of existing players on the roster. Names like Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter are the prime targets.
Offensive line — particularly two guards — is a more pressing need for the Vikings in free agency. But much like Patrick Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, and now Sherman, any linkage of those show-stopping names to the Vikings is tantalizing for fans.