Richard Sherman thinks the Seahawks nailed one free agency move

The Seattle Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker in free agency and instead chose to pay for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. Some might question the decision, but not former Legion of Boom icon Richard Sherman. The cornerback thinks the move was absolutely the right one.

There is no question that the Kansas City Chiefs will reap the benefits that the Seahawks did, thanks to Walker, only greater. In Seattle, Walker was part of a 1A, 1B running back duo, with him being the "A" and Zach Charbonnet being the "B."

In Kansas City, there is no 1B, only Walker, and whoever the Chiefs choose to back him up, giving Walker the sole responsibility to carry them as their lead rusher. That was a game-changing reason why Walker left in free agency — complete freedom with another team. 

Richard Sherman believes the Seattle Seahawks choosing Rashid Shaheed over Kenneth Walker was the right move

While the Seahawks wanted Walker back, it ended with Shaheed returning instead. What was the best mid-season addition in general manager John Schnieder's tenure with the Seahawks turned into a three-year deal keeping the speedy wideout in the building, and next season, it could prove to be the right decision in keeping Shaheed over Walker. 

Another non-question related topic is how Walker impacted the Seahawks' playoff and Super Bowl run. He was magnificent on the ground as soon as the playoffs kicked off. Furthermore, Walker really turned up the heat midway through the regular season, with increased usage leading to more yards, touchdowns, and greater impact on the Seahawks' offense. 

Shaheed, though, brought his own level of high-quality impact when he arrived in Seattle, despite taking a few games to settle in. Walker presented stability and reliability for the Seahawks. Shaheed showed sheer explosiveness as a wide receiver and kick returner. His impact was multi-faceted; Walker's was not. 

Shaheed gives the Seahawks a higher-level playmaker across two position groups, and that value could prove greater in the coming years. By re-signing Shaheed almost immediately upon free agency officially opening, the Seahawks showed what they valued and prioritized. 

Shaheed is one of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL, and his skill sets as a pass catcher and returner are invaluable. One big play after another coming over from the New Orleans Saints made Shaheed a playmaker invaluable to Seattle, and the offense, not to mention Sam Darnold, will be all the better for it next season. 

Richard Sherman, a playmaker in his own right for the Seahawks once upon a time, loved the Seahawks bringing Shaheed back and praised the move on a recent episode of his podcast, The Richard Sherman Podcast, predicting Shaheed's role in Seattle's offense will only increase going forward. 

“When you’re paying a guy $17 million, you don’t just use him on special teams,“ Sherman said. “He’s not just a returner who’s changing the game in that way. I would expect his targets to look more like they did when he was in New Orleans. I would expect him to get at least two deep shots a game, just keeping the defense honest. That’s what I thought would happen when he first got to Seattle.

“I thought, ‘OK, they’re going to keep defenses honest.‘They’re going to put one up just about every game. You saw it late in the season, in the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl. They did just that. If he’s used correctly, this offense becomes even more difficult to stop, especially in the run game," Sherman added. 

Shaheed's impact as a wideout for the Seahawks upon his arrival was minimal as far as statistics are concerned. Shaheed caught just 15 balls for 188 yards, but his impact was seen on big impact plays, and explosive ones at that. Sherman believes Shaheed's role will only grow next season, which could make the Seahawks even more dangerous and help their fans come to terms with losing Walker.