Does Damarious Randall Signing Slam Door on Potential Richard Sherman, Seahawks Reunion?
Several days after the veteran defensive back hinted he would be re-signing with the team, the Seahawks officially brought back Damarious Randall on a one-year deal on Wednesday, explicitly listing him as a cornerback instead of a safety.
This development may or may not be a significant one, as Seattle lost both of its 2020 projected starters at the position, Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar, to the Jacksonville and Detroit in free agency. With both players departing, the team only has three players in D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, and recently-signed Ahkello Witherspoon with 10 or more career NFL starts under their belts. None of those players are under contract beyond 2021.
Behind those three, the Seahawks have a major dearth in talent and experience. Jordan Miller, who signed to a reserve/future contract, played sparingly in 11 games for the Falcons in 2019 and 2020, while Gavin Heslop dressed for a single game as a practice squad promotion last season.
With these depth concerns evident, it's not surprising Seattle has made it clear the team intends to move Randall back to his natural position for the 2021 season. Coming out of Arizona State, he was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and started 30 games at cornerback over three seasons, giving him a major experience advantage.
But do the Seahawks actually expect Randall to compete for playing time on the outside? And does his return shut down the possibility of Richard Sherman coming back to his old stomping grounds?
The answer on both fronts is, well, maybe?
From a size perspective, Randall doesn't fit what Seattle has typically looked for on the outside. He's only 5-foot-11, weighing 196 pounds with 30 1/4-inch arms, which falls well below the team's threshold of 32 inches. This has typically been a deal-breaker playing on the outside in the team's scheme.
In contrast, Randall passed all of the Seahawks athletic testing criterion with flying colors at the 2015 NFL combine, including posting a 38-inch vertical jump and running the 3-cone drill in 6.83 seconds. In addition, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and produced 14 bench press reps.
Between the lines, Randall flashed at times in Green Bay, showing off the ball skills that made him a star for the Sun Devils in the Pac 12. He amassed 10 interceptions and 32 passes defensed in three seasons, proving himself to be a playmaker in the secondary. He also had a pair of picks in five playoff games.
However, Randall's aggressive nature left him susceptible to big plays, as he allowed at least 13 yards per reception each of those seasons. Per Pro Football Focus, he also allowed 18 touchdown receptions in coverage, including surrendering 10 touchdowns in 2016 alone.
While Randall is still only 28 years old, such shaky production over an extended period suggests he is not an NFL-starter caliber player. But coach Pete Carroll also loves reclamation projects and he's widely viewed as the Godfather when it comes to coaching defensive backs, so he clearly sees something he believes he can work with.
As for Sherman, the four-time First-Team All-Pro cornerback is still a free agent and indicated on the Chris Collinsworth Podcast he doesn't expect to sign with a team until after the draft concludes later this month.
“Well, apparently we got to wait ’til the draft happens before anything else shakes out, because everybody has their hopes and dreams in the draft, which is understandable," Sherman remarked. “You turn 33, and then it’s like, ‘We’ll wait until we get a young pup; and if we can’t get a young pup, we’ll take an old fool.’ So that’s where we’re sitting.”
Sherman, who turned 33 in March, recently finished up a three-year, $31 million contract with the 49ers. Due to the lowered salary cap, the team was up front with the veteran defender that he likely wouldn't be back due to cost and instead re-signed Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley, who are expected to be the starters next year.
Coming off a season in which he only played in five games due to a calf injury, like many aging veterans who haven't signed the dotted line yet, Sherman may need to settle for far less money on a one-year deal. Waiting until after the draft commences may help generate better offers in his favor from teams that fail to address the cornerback position.
What does that mean for the chances of him playing in Seattle again? While it is a possibility until he signs elsewhere, though Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Sherman would be "open" to returning and the organization had mutual interest, nothing has happened to this point.
In the short-term, Seattle could certainly use an upgrade at the position and when healthy, Sherman is still arguably a top-15 cornerback. He's only two years removed from a Second-Team All-Pro selection in San Francisco and earned the highest grade from Pro Football Focus (88.9) that season. After helping guide the team to its first Super Bowl title, he's a true franchise pillar who most fans would be more than happy to welcome back with open arms.
But in an offseason that has already been dominated by talk about Russell Wilson's discontent with the organization, there would be risk bringing a vocal character like Sherman. There's plenty of evidence the two stars didn't get along, including Sherman reportedly yelling "you f***** suck!" at Wilson after intercepting a pass in practice back in June 2014. He also maintained animosity towards the signal caller after his decisive game-ending interception in Super Bowl XLIX among other things.
Though Sherman's Achilles tear and high-priced contract played a role in the decision to cut him after the 2017 season, reports surfaced indicating the team made the move in an effort to help clean up the locker room. Defensive end Michael Bennett was also traded to the Eagles around the same time as part of a substantial roster purging after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in six years.
When asked about his thoughts on the potential of Sherman returning to the Seahawks, former NFL head coach Jim Mora Jr. stated that without knowing all the facts about the relationship between Wilson and Sherman, it's tough to tell if it's plausible or not. From his perspective, that dynamic should be the biggest factor in such a decision.
"If there is any sense that there's a divide there between those two, that they are not in concert, then you don't want to go down that road," Mora said. "But if it's something that's a little better over blown and made up and maybe in the background they are close friends, then you can do that."
While he holds Sherman in the highest regard and already has cemented his status as a Hall of Famer in his book, Mora believes the risks outweigh the rewards in this instance. Considering the drama around Wilson seems to be "simmering down," he thinks the Seahawks would be wise to steer clear of a reunion with four-alarm fire potential.
"I would say that sometimes when you go and get re-married, it's not always the happiest of outcomes," Mora stated. "I think they should move on and I don't say that out of disrespect for Richard Sherman because he's one of my favorite corners of all-time. I love him watching him play, his mindset, I love everything about him."
"But for the health of the organization? If there's any chance there could be an issue in the locker room, you really need to avoid that."
For now, due to limited cap room, Seattle looks poised to roll into a new season with Reed, Flowers, Witherspoon, and Randall as the team's top four corners, leaving plenty of question marks at a critical position in Carroll's scheme. Despite limited draft capital, another player could be added to the mix in the draft as well.
But these situations are always fluid and without knowing where things stand relationship-wise between Sherman and the Seahawks, the chances of a reunion can't be completely ruled out. If his price keeps plunging and the organization feels confident about his locker room fit, it could be the best move for both parties later in the offseason.
