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Make-or-Break Candidate: Richard Sherman
After the Webzone's recent roundtable discussion about the
49ers' 2018 Breakout Candidates, it comes as no surprise that others view 49ers cornerback
Richard Sherman in a similar fashion. 49ers Webzone's TJ Bice picked Sherman as his top breakout candidate:
But I think perhaps an even a bigger reason Sherman is going to have a breakout year: the dude has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rainier after being released. I can't remember a player--in any sport, not just the NFL--who is more self-motivated by sleights (real or perceived) than Richard Sherman.
NFL.com journalist Adam Schein recently posted his assessment on the
NFL's make-or-break candidates: Guys at a crossroads in 2018 and it came at no surprise to see the 49ers' most profiled free agent acquisition making the list. Sherman made his list at number seven with the following comments:
I love John Lynch bringing this Stanford product back to the Bay. I still think Sherman can play and lead. I think he can show the young Niners the ropes and how to establish a winning culture.
But what if I'm wrong? What if Sherman is a shell of his former self? What if the Achilles isn't the same? What if he lost many steps? The downside -- and Sherman's age (30) -- puts this situation squarely in make-or-break territory.
There are two sides to the coin and one can make a case for either view. Sherman was a 2011 fifth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks and has since put up outstanding numbers as one of the league's premier playmakers; Sherman has accumulated 367 tackles, 32 interceptions, and 99 passes defensed while also making the Pro Bowl from 2013-2016. Having said that, Sherman missed the majority of last season with a ruptured Achilles, leading to his eventual release by the Seahawks' front office. Sherman has plenty of mileage with 99 career starts and is coming off a major injury at age 30.
Is the glass half empty or half full? Since signing with the 49ers, Sherman has become an instant leader in the secondary as an active participant in the offseason program.
The views within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
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One of those players in 2018, Sherman's first season with the 49ers, was then-rookie linebacker Fred Warner.
"Sherm's been my guy since day one," Warner told the hosts of Good Morning Football on Thursday. "I always think about this conversation we had back when I was a rookie. I was third on the depth chart, I think, at Mike linebacker, and just kind of a new guy from BYU who nobody really knew about. And me and
