New England Patriots: Richard Sherman in New England would have failed

The New England Patriots may think highly of Richard Sherman, but no trade was ever close to happening and won’t anytime soon.

When Bill Belichick uncharacteristically signed Stephon Gilmore to a lucrative contract, the idea was that he and Malcolm Butler would team up to form an elite cornerback tandem in Foxboro. However, the signing led to speculation that Butler wouldn’t be a New England Patriot by the time the season rolled around. That gave way to rumors of New England’s interest in one of the league’s premier corners, Richard Sherman.

Even if Bill Belichick would have been able to offer Seattle a pick in the first 2 rounds, the Seahawks likely would have asked for more than a late first rounder for a player who has helped change their franchise.

But other than the fact that the Patriots would never have been able to meet Seattle’s demands, there’s another reason why this trade was probably never even discussed.

Sherman wouldn’t have complimented Butler or Gilmore very well

Ever since they traded for Aqib Talib, the Patriots have primarily been a man-to-man defense. Darrelle Revis and Malcolm Butler have allowed Bill Belichick to maintain that one-on-one concepts. Richard Sherman is a well-known zone corner. He succeeds with elite instincts, range, and ball skills. Man-to-man corners don’t need those great instincts or elite straight line speed, they need to be quick in short areas and fluid when changing directions.

That’s exactly what Aqib Talib, Darrelle Revis, and Malcolm Butler have brought to the table. They signed Stephon Gilmore because he has that same coveted skill set. Though they seem like similar players because of their length, Sherman and Gilmore cannot thrive together in the same defense. Sherman doesn’t have the quickness to play in a man defense that suits Gilmore, and likewise, Gilmore doesn’t have the instincts to play in a zone defense that fits Richard Sherman.

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If Bill Belichick does pull off a trade for Richard Sherman before the 2017 deadline, the Patriots would have a liability in coverage in the form of someone who just doesn’t fit the defense. It would be a classic case of a team pairing one stud player with another, and everyone wondering why it went wrong.