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"You mad, bro?" Forget that
Richard Sherman personified the archetype villain to 49er fans the moment he tipped a last-ditch effort pass to
Michael Crabtree in the 2013 NFC Championship Game, then made a "choke" gesture to
Colin Kaepernick, the dejected 49ers bench, and the rest of the entire football-watching world. How about the fact that the 49ers brass just spent a reported $39 million over three years on a cornerback that is turning 30 later this month and is coming off of one Achilles tendon tear in one leg and a bone spur "clean up" in the other?
Didn't the 49ers just release
NaVorro Bowman (you know, the iconic former face of the franchise in part due to his heroics in that same game) after roughly the
same injury and at roughly the
same age? So what's the difference? Maybe Sherman passed the physical with flying colors and Bowman had question marks. We may never know that side of it. Is it worth the risk to find out?
No doubt, it's a gamble...but not financially. The 49ers have more than enough cap space to accommodate such a move and, more than likely, a large chunk of that $39 million will be tied to hard-to-reach incentives anyway. It may not be as big of a financial risk as it initially seemed, if the contract is in any way similar to what we've seen in the past from Chief Contract Negotiator, Paraag Marathe. We'll know more once the complete details of the contract are made public.
No, the risk is in how this will affect the dynamics of the locker room. Teammates revered Bowman for his work ethic and resiliency following career-threatening injuries. And yet he was still expendable. He wasn't exactly quiet...he let his hard-hitting play speak for him; but he also definitely wasn't a brash, outspoken instigator that you could imagine boastfully prancing and gesticulating toward an opponent's sideline after they just endured a heart-wrenching loss.
That sort of swagger was reserved solely for 49ers Public Enemy No. 1, Richard Sherman. And like it or not, he consistently delivered on his trash talk. Since being drafted out of Stanford in 2011, NFL research shows that Sherman leads the league in interceptions (32), passes defensed (99), lowest completion percentage allowed (47.4%) and lowest passer rating allowed (50.9). The four-time consecutive Pro Bowler has (had?) game. But so did
Darrelle Revis.
The real question to me is, how will an aging veteran coming off a major injury and two surgeries deal with it when he might not be able to back up all that infamous trash talk anymore? Will he divide a young and impressionable locker room? Will he start blaming other players, coaches, zodiac alignments...anyone but himself if he doesn't bounce back the way he (and the 49ers front office) expects? Will he implode?
As the guy who
saw this as a possible dark horse signing, my guess is no. Yes, Sherman may
seem mercurial but I believe his schtick has been much more calculated than most think. He's an intelligent, savvy, playmaker that has been praised for his ability to take young players under his arm in Seattle and help develop them.
At worse, he's leaps and bounds better than the liability that was Dontae Johnson last year. At best, he plays at the same level he was pre-injury and helps the 49ers forge the identity they are looking to make under Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh. No one knows this 3 Deep Zone defense better than Sherman; he helped create it when Saleh was still an assistant in Seattle. And, in this writer's opinion, he's a much better (and cheaper) signing than
Trumaine Johnson would have been.
That doesn't mean the 49ers are done yet. The smart move is to still draft another corner to develop...they just won't
have to do it in the early rounds now if they don't see an ideal fit. And for my next prediction, I also see the 49ers going after one of Saleh's former players in Jacksonville in free agency,
Aaron Colvin. He's young, plays the same defense, and won't come at a huge price. Book it.
Poll
- Will signing Richard Sherman help or hurt the 49ers?
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Undecided
Hurt
- 755 votes
The San Francisco 49ers are among the 25 teams kicking off their offseason workout program today. However, don't expect to see players facing off against each other on the practice field for the next couple of weeks. The program's early portion, dubbed "Phase One," spans two weeks and includes limited activities such as meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.
The second phase of the offseason program extends for three weeks and includes on-field workouts for individual or group instruction and drills. After that, teams can hold up to 10 days of organized team activities on the practice field.
As the 49ers continue to negotiate a contract extension for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, it's important to note that all of these sessions are
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be present today as the team reports for the start of its offseason program. Purdy was a little early, as he hosted a youth football camp over the weekend.
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group spoke to the 49ers quarterback during the event and asked him about one of his teammates, Brandon Aiyuk. The star wide receiver is currently in contract extension negotiations with the 49ers, and the team has emphasized keeping him around for the foreseeable future as an offseason priority.
Purdy has
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group caught up with Brock Purdy over the weekend as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback hosted his inaugural youth football camp at Levi's Stadium. Today, Purdy and most of his teammates will report to the team for the start of the offseason program, which will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation over the next couple of weeks.
While this offseason holds significance for Purdy as he seeks to build upon an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him set a single-season franchise
We're just 10 days away from the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. While many gain more confidence about their projections for the top of the first round, the picture of what might happen further down remains murky. Most predict the San Francisco 49ers will use their first selection, No. 31 overall, on an offensive lineman. However, an early run on the position may alter those plans. The 49ers may address another position, or they may have to move up to secure a top prospect.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates recently revealed a joint three-round mock draft, examining the top 100 selections and forecasting