Cleveland Browns: Richard Sherman open to C.J. McCollum’s recruitment attempt

Richard Sherman keeping the door open for the Cleveland Browns

NFL free agency doesn’t kick off until next month, but recruitment has already begun.

And it’s not just Cleveland Browns players trying to recruit free agents to Northeast Ohio.

Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum, a Cleveland native, wants cornerback Richard Sherman on the Browns, and Sherman didn’t write off the team as a potential destination:

There have been (unsubstantiated) rumors floating around recently that the Browns are interested in Sherman. Given the state of their secondary, the team should be looking into every possible option to improve. While Sherman has been one of the league’s premier boundary corners since 2011, he doesn’t make a ton of sense for Cleveland at that position. He’s never been the fastest guy, and will turn 33 on March 30th. He had a cap hit of nearly $14 million in 2020, a number that will plummet on his next deal.

The Browns need to get younger and faster at CB in order to keep up with the high-flying offenses of the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, who will be Cleveland’s primary competition over the next few seasons. Sherman would certainly be an upgrade over Terrance Mitchell and the rest of the depth chart after Denzel Ward, but his days of being an elite player are all but over. In fact, the Browns likely wouldn’t be interested in an aging, slow, left-side-only corner, especially for $5 million-plus.

However, Sherman has stated that he understands a move to safety could be in his future, and that’s where he’d make the most sense for Cleveland. The team has Ronnie Harrison Jr. entrenched as the starting strong safety, and Grant Delpit was going to be heavily leaned upon before suffering a torn Achilles in training camp of his rookie year. The Browns need three starters at the position, with one playing the big nickel role, which involves plenty of box and slot play.

Adding Sherman as the designated free safety would take advantage of his elite cerebral ability and allow Delpit to move around and do different things. Sherman spent 2019 with Joe Woods, so there is already some coaching and scheme familiarity. He’d also provide excellent veteran leadership and experience in a young secondary.

There is that whole “Baker Mayfield didn’t shake my hand” situation where he was caught lying. That was very strange, especially since video evidence clearly refuted Sherman’s claim. But he did admit that he was in the wrong and apologized to Mayfield, so perhaps that is all water under the bridge now.

There are likely better, younger, and cheaper options in the secondary for Cleveland this offseason, but Richard Sherman is certainly an option, at the right price of course.