Commentary: It might be right time, situation for Richard Sherman to return to Seahawks

Now that we seem to be past the offseason tempest of rumors surrounding the future of Russell Wilson, and before we look ahead to what could be a somewhat tame NFL Draft for the Seahawks, considering their lack of picks, let’s carve out some time to get sentimental….

….with this guy right here (Marshawn Lynch).

There is simply no questioning the love this city has for Marshawn Lynch. And it’s a story that enjoyed one of the most unlikely and refreshing sequels a year and a half ago. No one ever expected "Beast Mode" to return to the Seahawks after the 2015 season – one that reflected discontent, culminating with Lynch refusing to get on the team bus before the first round of the playoffs.

It was a relationship that was clearly fractured was somehow able to mend itself a few years later – and what a fun and memorable month that was.  It was the ultimate sign that no conflict was too great to stand in the way of a player returning to the Seahawks.

That being said, the Seahawks have just three picks in this year’s draft, and only one selection in the first three rounds. It comes after an offseason where Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin signed with Jacksonville and Quinton Dunbar signed a free agent deal with the Lions. Right now, the Hawks starting cornerbacks are going to come from a group that includes Pierre Desir, Tre Flowers, D.J. Reed, Akhello Witherspoon, and Ugo Amadi, who normally plays nickel cornerback. 

But who is the number one? Who is the big name? Sure – the secondary will take its cues from the back-end with Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.

But there’s a certain future Hall of Famer who’s still out there who might be perfect to return to Seattle.

Frankly, I don’t really care how strained or non-existent a relationship is between Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson. They don’t pass to one another. They don’t hand-off to one another. They’re on opposite sides of the ball. If Sherman can add value to this secondary, from mentorship to performance and an edgy attitude from which these cornerbacks can benefit, then why not bring him back?

It’s clear by now that the free agent market for cornerbacks has cooled off, so the investment in Sherman wouldn’t be too steep. He’s familiar with the Seahawks system. This is still his home. And after re-signing Carlos Dunlap and Chris Carson, there’s no reason to think that this team isn’t an immediate contender, which should be appealing to the 33-year-old star.

Whether you want to think of this offseason as a chess match between the Seahawks front office and its star quarterback or not, all that matters is that it’s resulted in some strong moves. And if those moves lead to wins on the field, nobody will have reason to complain.

Which is why re-signing Sherman should be a serious consideration right now. We know he’s a winner, and at the end of the day, he should still be considered one of ours. And if Marshawn Lynch can successfully manage an encore after all the baggage he carried with him, a return of Sherman shouldn’t be cast aside.

Lynch proved that you can come home again. It might be time that Richard Sherman does too.