On Wednesday it was announced that veteran cornerback Richard Sherman had signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It has been reported that it is a one-year contract. Here is what the Buccaneers signing Richard Sherman means.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Add Experience by Signing Cornerback Richard Sherman
On the first episode of his podcast “The Richard Sherman Podcast” Sherman announced he would be signing with the Bucs. He said he also had conversations with other teams, including his two former teams the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers as well as the Carolina Panthers who all showed interest in signing the veteran defensive back.
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group,” Sherman said. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”
Experience
The biggest asset Sherman will bring to the Bucs is his experience. He is 33 years old and Tampa Bay has one of the league’s youngest defensive backfields. The Bucs secondary has also struggled in tackling this season, an area where Sherman is sound.
In 10 NFL seasons, Sherman has been a First-Team All-Pro three times and been named to the Pro Bowl five times, including as recently as 2019.
The Bucs are also dealing with some losses at the cornerback position with Sean Murphy-Bunting (placed on IR with a dislocated right elbow on Sept. 20) and Jamel Dean (left the Bucs Week 3 game last Sunday with a knee injury) currently dealing with injuries.
Bucs Defense
The Bucs defense is currently tied for 26th in the league for total yards allowed per game (402.0) and 27th in points per game (29.3). The biggest issue for their defense is the pass yards they are surrendering. Their defense is allowing 338.3 pass yards per game which has them ranked dead last in the league. By contrast, their run defense is giving up only 63.7 yards per game, good for fourth overall.
Most fans have the Bucs on the shortlist of contenders in the NFC, but their pass defense needs to improve. The addition of Sherman and his experience and sure tackling may help the Bucs pass defense climb out of the cellar.
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Legal Problems
In July this year, Sherman was arrested due to an incident that took place at the home of his wife’s parents in Redmon, Washington. There allegedly was an altercation at his in-law’s house after he drove over to their place while drunk and crashed his SUV into a construction zone and attempted to break into their home. Sherman was charged with five misdemeanors, including two counts of domestic violence (though the police said he did not physically assault anyone) – criminal trespass in the second degree and malicious mischief in the third degree – in addition to resisting arrest, driving while under the influence and reckless endangerment of roadway workers.
Sherman has pleaded not guilty to all five charges.
Even though these legal issues are still unresolved, Tampa Bay did their due diligence and believe adding him to their roster is the right move at this time.
Suspension
Sherman has not yet been suspended by the league so he will likely be free to play immediately. But he believes he will need one or two weeks before he will be game ready. That means Sherman most likely will not play in Tom Brady’s return to Foxboro this Sunday when the Bucs take on the New England Patriots. Time will tell if Sherman can make the positive impact Tampa Bay needs but he is reportedly back to his former Seattle playing weight (195 pounds) and has been going to therapy since his arrest this summer.
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