LDN - Sports

NFL notebook: Sherman says Carroll's philosophy 'built for college'

[March 17, 2018] Richard Sherman believes part of the issue for the Seahawks last season -- Seattle finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs -- was that head coach Pete Carroll's message wasn't necessarily age appropriate. Sherman said his approach might be better suited for college players.

"I think it was kind of philosophical on his part," Sherman said of Carroll, a former USC coach, on a podcast hosted by former Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas and retired receiver Andrew Hawkins. "A lot of us have been there six, seven, eight years, and his philosophy is more built for college. Four years, guys rotate in, rotate out, and so we had kind of heard all his stories, we had kind of heard every story, every funny anecdote that he had. And honestly because he just recycles them. And they're cool stories, they're great for team chemistry and building, et cetera, et cetera. But we had literally heard them all. We could recite them before he even started to say them."

One week after Sherman was released by the Seahawks in a cap-savings transaction, he reflected on his time with the team and looked ahead to playing for the San Francisco 49ers. By staying in the NFC West, Sherman set up the opportunity to play Seattle twice per season, which he said was a key factor in his "vengeful" decision.

Sherman, coming off of surgery to repair a torn Achilles after ending last season on injured reserve, said he was disappointed to be cast aside in light of the Seahawks standing behind other injured players. He named safety Earl Thomas and tight end Jimmy Graham as recent examples.

--Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is reportedly facing a four-game suspension for a violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport tweeted that such a suspension (which would occur in the first four games of next season) would void Burfict's three-year, $33 million contract and allow the Bengals to walk away scot-free.

--The Chicago Bears didn't wait long to match the division rival Green Bay Packers' offer sheet for cornerback Kyle Fuller, doing so a few hours after it was signed.

The deal is worth $56 million over four years with $29 million in practical guarantees, according to multiple reports, including $20 million due the first year. The $14 million annual average ranks fifth among all cornerbacks -- $10,000 per year behind Patrick Peterson -- and the guarantee ranks eighth.

The Bears designated Fuller with the transition tag on March 6, assigning the three-year veteran a $12.971 million salary for the 2018 season with the opportunity to work out a long-term deal over the next several months. Chicago also owned the right to match any offer from other teams, without any compensation coming its way if it were to pass.

--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added free-agent center Ryan Jensen on a mammoth deal, according to multiple reports, setting a major offensive line benchmark.

Per NFL Network, Jensen's contract is for $42 million over four years with $22 million guaranteed. It makes the former Baltimore Raven the league's highest paid center in terms of annual average ($10.5 million), narrowly ahead of Jacksonville's Brandon Linder ($10.3 million). Jensen, who also visited with the Colts in free agency before the Bucs, ranks fifth among centers in guaranteed money.

--The New England Patriots will sign former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn, according to multiple reports, and former Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, according to ESPN.

Per NFL Network, Clayborn's deal will be worth $12 million over two years. Terms for Hill's deal were not immediately available.

--Veteran wide receiver Michael Crabtree has agreed to a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, according to multiple reports.

[to top of second column]

The Ravens moved to sign Crabtree after initially targeting wide receiver Ryan Grant in free agency. When Grant failed a physical with Baltimore, the Ravens quickly pivoted to add another wideout.

Crabtree, 30, was released by the Oakland Raiders on Thursday and spent less than a day on the market. His deal with the Ravens is worth $21 million with $11 million guaranteed and a $7 million signing bonus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

--Sheldon Richardson has agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced.

The deal is reportedly worth $8 million, with the chance to earn an extra $3 million in incentives. Richardson, 27, said he preferred the short-term pact.

"It's better this way," he told reporters at his introductory press conference. "That's just how I feel, no explanation to it. That's just how I feel. This was the best opportunity, this was the best deal we came up with. I let my agent handle the numbers and stuff, I just came to play football."

--The Philadelphia Eagles released defensive end Vinny Curry, the team announced, in a salary-clearing move.

According to multiple reports, Curry declined to take a pay cut and the team had been shopping him, along with linebacker Mychal Kendricks, in trades this week in an effort to clear cap room after a number of offseason additions. After trading for Michael Bennett, the Eagles also signed Nigel Bradham, Haloti Ngata and Corey Nelson to free-agent deals.

--Defensive lineman Karl Klug is on the open market after being released by the Tennessee Titans.

Klug, who turns 30 on March 31, finishes his Titans career with 21.5 sacks and 128 tackles.

--Veteran running back Adrian Peterson told ESPN's "First Take" that the Houston Texans would be a "perfect landing spot" following his release earlier this week by the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson was born in Palestine, Texas, about a 3-hour drive from Houston.

"It has always been my dream to come back home and play," Peterson said. "Taken that I've been living in Houston for over a decade. That would be a perfect landing spot, here in my backyard. That would be very convenient."

--Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen could be looking at a potential future on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team.

The New York Post reported Olsen is auditioning for such a position this week. He could also be an option for Thursday Night Football on FOX, per the Post.

However, NFL Network reports Olsen "has committed to playing for Carolina for 2018 and beyond," so his audition appears to be more about the future than any looming possibility of retirement. Either way, Carolina appears interested in adding depth at the position around Olsen, having visited with former first-round pick Eric Ebron and Luke Willson.

--Former San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid, now an unrestricted free agent, says his activism is the reason he hasn't received much interest from NFL teams since the new league year began.

"The notion that I can be a great signing for your team for cheap, not because of my skill set but because I've protested systemic oppression, is ludicrous. If you think is, then your mindset is part of the problem too," Reid tweeted.

--Buffalo re-signed running backs Travaris Cadet and Taiwan Jones, who had become free agents, giving the Bills some flexibility and competition for new addition Chris Ivory, who is expected to be running back LeSean McCoy's primary backup in 2018.

Cadet has 49 carries for 180 yards and 118 catches for 959 yards over six NFL seasons. Jones has 44 carries for 183 yards and 18 catches for 251 yards over seven seasons.

--Field Level Media

Back to top