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Richard Sherman was just asked about the Saints and how drafting Adebo impacts his thought process during a Twitch stream. Here's his response via @AndrewComeaux99 https://t.co/llSfZHyGB1
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) May 1, 2021
Richard Sherman was linked to the New Orleans Saints in the early days of free agency, but little came of that buzz. Sherman did recently list the Saints among a group of four teams he had met with — he represents himself in free agency — alongside the two teams he’s played for (the 49ers and Seahawks), plus the Raiders.
Sherman has spoken about the lukewarm interest he’d received from teams in free agency, explaining that he doesn’t anticipate any real offers until after the NFL draft. While the picks are still rolling in, and things could change in a hurry, it appears the Saints’ third-round pick of Stanford corner Paulson Adebo could take New Orleans off Sherman’s radar. While fielding questions from fans during a Twitch streaming event, Sherman mulled the situation with the Saints.
“It’s gotta be a ‘want’ and it’s got to be a respect level with everything,” Sherman said of interest between himself and potential suitors. “So, you know what I mean, Kris being there, they just drafted a corner. They don’t seem to me to be a ‘Y.'”
It’s unclear exactly what Sherman meant by that, but context clues suggest he doesn’t see the Saints as a ‘Yes’ in fitting what he’s looking for. He would be, at best, competing with Adebo to start in New Orleans. Considering Adebo’s talents and the coaching he’ll receive from Kris Richard, who Sherman has seen develop prospects firsthand, there are going to be more appealing destinations for him out there.
And that doesn’t even get into the contract details. If Sherman wants a starting gig and to be paid like a starting cornerback, pulling in $8 million or more per year, the Saints aren’t likely to hit on both points. It makes sense for him to consider other options at this early stage.
Maybe things look differently in a few days. The Saints could very well find the money he wants and offer him a legitimate shot at continuing to start. It’s just a situation where we’ll all have to wait and see.
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