What Should the Seahawks Expect from Richard Sherman in 2017?

Richard Sherman of the Seahawks has been great for several seasons. Will he begin a descent in 2017?

Sherman’s Seahawks season in 2016 may have been his worst in many years. That said, NFL.com says that Sherman still had the seventh best passer rating allowed in the NFL at 64.0. In another NFL.com column, Sherman was the highest rated cornerback of 2016. Sherman was at his worst and still great last season. This while playing with an MCL injury for most of the second half of the year.

Did the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones get the best of Sherman a few times in two games in 2016? Yes. Still, Jones did not exactly explode in one-on-one matchups versus Sherman. Jones is a great receiver; he will beat any corner sometimes. Sherman’s job against extremely talented receivers is to diminish production, not eliminate it. He accomplished that for the most part.

This offseason, 12s heard either the Seahawks wanted to trade Sherman or Sherman asked to be traded. Whatever the truth, the Seahawks would be worse without Sherman. And Sherman would not be as effective without the rest of the Seahawks secondary. Seattle and Sherman need each other. And Seahawks fans need Sherman and Seattle to need each other.

Sherman’s performance will determine if the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl this year

Richard Sherman can be a leader in many ways. First, he has to be able to cover the number one receiver of the opposing team. For the most part, he has done this well. Brandon Marshall of the New York Jets had some productive plays against Sherman in 2016, but Sherman ended up having two interceptions against New York in that game. Jones of the Falcons caught six passes in the playoff game against Seattle last season, but still only had 66 yards. Sherman must continue to be the shut-down corner he has been since 2012.

Secondly, Sherman can teach newly drafted Seahawks, like Shaquill Griffin, for instance, how to be very effective cornerbacks in the NFL. Sherman is a smart player and knows how to communicate. He has helped show fellow Seahawks cornerbacks, like Byron Maxwell and DeShawn Shead, how to be good players. The Seahawks need even more from Sherman this year in this situation. In fact, to make Sherman’s job easier, he needs to become an even more active teacher.

Lastly, Sherman needs to be a great teammate. Allegedly, Sherman was disruptive on the sidelines last season. At times, he clearly disagreed with coaches over calls. There were also times when he was clearly in the wrong about a blown coverage for which he was at fault. Sherman is not perfect. No one is. But the Seahawks need him to be at his best for Seattle to make a deep playoff run in 2017.

Related Story: Jimmy Graham also needs to be great in Seattle in 2017

Finally…

This is the most important part. No matter how 12s sometimes feel about Sherman’s outspoken nature or whatever Sherman may or may not do to cause fleeting controversy, the Seahawks must have him to meet lofty expectations. If Sherman had been traded this offseason Seattle would have been a lesser team. Sherman is a great player. He needs to be, seemingly, a better teammate in 2017. But the Seahawks are only a great team with Sherman and not without him. He should be in Seattle for several years to come. Seattle, 12s and Sherman himself, need him to be together to reach the goals of all involved.