Detroit Lions need to stay away from Richard Sherman

The Detroit Lions must continue to build their defense, but free agent cornerback Richard Sherman, fresh off a serious injury, is not an option.

The Detroit Lions reportedly have interest in free agent cornerback Richard Sherman. It is March, and though madness is to be expected, this particular madness needs to stop. Richard Sherman is not a fit for the Lions.

The Seattle Seahawks released Sherman on Friday, making him free to sign with any team at any time. Naturally, eager Lions fans pounced on the fantasy of having the All-Pro join Darius Slay in the team’s defensive backfield next season.

Sure, it sounds appetizing, and a logical case can be made. And maybe it’s a move that makes sense for your Madden franchise, but it makes no sense for the Lions. Here’s why:

Significant injury

Richard Sherman’s talent has an Achilles’ heel, literally.

He underwent two surgical procedures this past year, one on each ankle.

The game-changing cornerback suffered a devastating injury last season when he ruptured his right Achilles’ tendon against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. This type of injury is significant, and it seems that everyone forgot that it occurred.

At the NFL Combine, Seahawks’ head coach Pete Carroll announced that Sherman underwent a minor procedure on his left Achilles.

Although Sherman is adamant that he will return to football activities in June, Achilles injuries can be difficult to gauge. Even after a full recovery, even the slightest decrease in acceleration and explosiveness can have a dramatically negative impact on the player’s performance. For NFL players in particular, where the action is so quick, those small fractions of a second are the difference between the elite, the mediocre, and the unemployed.

Lions fans have some familiarity with Achilles injuries. Upstart edge rusher Kerry Hyder was lost for the season during last preseason, and the jury will be out to see how effective he will be. Back in 2011, a training camp Achilles tear entirely derailed Mikel Leshoure‘s promising career, and he suffered the injury at age 21. The highly touted Illinois running back never quite regained the burst that he possessed in college, and his NFL career ended after 17 games with the Lions.

Sherman’s NFL career is not over, but it is possible that he may never be the shutdown corner and dominant presence he once was prior to the injury. Though he still may be above average, he probably still wants to be paid like an elite corner.

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Seattle cut ties

In the NFL, marquee players are released because of money, performance, or both. Smart franchises simply do not cut ties with a game-changing player.

The Seahawks’ release of Sherman tells me everything I need to know about how they feel about his injury, his prospects of recovery, and performance going forward. It speaks volumes that the team that drafted him, the team that knows him best, and knows exactly what he is capable of, let him go.

Sherman, who turns 30 at the end of March, is due to collect $11 million this season in the final year of his contract. By releasing him, the Seahawks bank that money and will invest it in many other areas of need.

The team also had the option to offer Sherman an extension, thereby reducing his 2018 cap hit. That requires an agreement from both sides, but there have been no reports that a discussion of that nature took place.

The Seahawks are moving on, and they are doing so because they no longer believe he can play a critical role in their defense.

Not an area of need

The Lions certainly need to continue to build their defense, but the defensive backfield is not the disaster it used to be. Along with Darius Slay, safeties Quandre Diggs and Glover Quin sure up the back of the unit. Teez Tabor, last year’s second-round selection, saw his role expand at the end of last season and is expected to compete for a starting job opposite Slay in 2018.

If the Lions are going to spend on the defensive side of the ball, improving the pass rush is the top priority. It is no secret that a solid pass rush automatically improves the secondary, especially one loaded with as much talent as the Lions have.

Cap space

Speculation is that it will cost around $8 million or so to acquire Sherman. The Lions technically have the money to make it work, but it then cuts into their ability to address other areas of need. Other options, such as Malcolm Butler, are most likely cheaper and younger.

Next: Trade targets for the Lions to consider

On the surface, the Lions and Sherman seem like a perfect fit. His Achilles’ injuries are a massive concern, however, and if the Lions are bringing in Richard Sherman to be anything less than Richard Sherman, it is not worth the risk.