Seahawks Showing Richard Sherman 'Who Is Really the Boss' with Trade Rumors

Before trying to understand how exactly Richard Sherman, a four-time All-Pro, could be put on the trading block by the Seahawks, we need to take a moment to realize just how unexpected it is that he may be available at all.

Sherman is, at this moment, perhaps the best corner in football and sure to waltz into the Hall of Fame. He has 30 interceptions since joining the league six years ago. Not only is that more picks than any other corner during that span, it's 10 more.

He hasn't missed a game in his entire career, is one of the smartest players in the sport, is a good teammate and his salary-cap number—$13.6 million in 2017 and $13.2 in 2018—isn't extreme for a player of his caliber. His base salary in 2017 is $11.4 million and $11 million in 2018. Again, not crazy for someone as good as Sherman.

Which brings us back to our original point: Why would the Seahawks be open to trading him?

Six team executives, several of whom have been in touch with Seattle about the possibility of trading for Sherman, each told B/R they believe the Seahawks are just doing due diligence. In other words, the teams I interviewed don't believe this trade will happen. Even the Seahawks have said this publicly.

So what's going on? The executives believe the Seahawks leaked this as a sort of shot across the bow to Sherman.

"The Seahawks are showing a guy who thinks he's the boss who is really the boss," one NFC general manager said.

One executive estimated the chances of a Sherman trade at "20 percent or less."

David Goldman/Associated Press

Yet stranger things have happened in this league, and the fact the Seahawks, a usually classy organization that knows how to keep secrets, let one of the biggest in their organization's recent history out of the bag says something significant in itself, whether or not Sherman stays (and he probably will).

Many of us who have followed Sherman closely enjoy his outspokenness. It's one of the things that make him a treasure, even when he targets you. We need more people like Sherman in this league.

While no one on the Seahawks has told me this, other teams believe Seattle might be tiring of that outspokenness, despite what both sides are saying publicly.

Sherman denies this, telling Albert Breer of the The MMQB that "there is no bad blood." Others around the league are not so sure. They describe the situation as a combination of the Seahawks' perhaps trying to stay ahead of Sherman's physical decline (which theoretically could happen in two or three years) and his wearing on the nerves of the coaching staff.

At least that's what people in the league believe—with a near certainty, they claim. It's no coincidence, claim the executives, that the Sherman trade talk emerged after he had two public issues last season with coaches. One was a blowup with defensive coordinator Kris Richard. The second was Sherman's criticism of the play-calling in Week 15 against the Rams.

The Seahawks are an emotional team. It's part of what has made them great, but now they seem to be wondering if Sherman's emotions are no longer helping.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Maybe the most startling aspect of the story is the Seahawks' willingness to discuss trading Sherman publicly. It's rare to see this type of bluntness about any trade, let alone a trade of a star like Sherman. This is why teams believe the Seahawks are indeed making some kind of statement to him.

"What you've seen lately in the news is real," John Schneider, general manager of the Seahawks, said on the Brock and Salk show on 710 ESPN Seattle this week. "That's on both sides. It's just open communication. He knows what's going on. We know what's going on.

"I don't know if anything would ever happen. But like I tell people all the time, 98 percent of the things we're involved with, we don't follow through with. But at least we've opened that door, gone down the road and seen what's behind Door A or Door B."

An argument can be made that Schneider isn't just one of the best front office people in football, but also in all of sports. Someone of his skills doesn't talk so publicly by accident.

"There have been some teams that have called, and so we've talked about it," coach Pete Carroll said at the owners' meetings recently, according to ESPN's Sheil Kapadia. "But he's extremely important to our football team. I don't see anything happening at all."

It's difficult to discern what the Seahawks are asking for in return. Teams haven't told me, but the feeling I get is nothing too concrete has been proposed yet. One executive said he believes the Seahawks would need a first- and a third-round pick to justify trading Sherman.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

On Thursday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported that Seattle is looking for a high-round pick and a player. Good luck with that.

Every player is expendable. Joe Montana was. Johnny Unitas was. Adrian Peterson was. Sherman is no different.

But this? Publicly dangling one of football's premier players?

This is rare territory.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL. Salary figures provided by Spotrac.