The Patriots were excused when Richard Sherman's deal with the 49ers was originally announced. The three-year, $39 million agreement seemed ridiculous, considering the almost 30-year-old Sherman is coming off two Achilles injuries. Nobody could blame the Patriots for passing on maybe the best cornerback of his generation.
But now the full details of the contract have been released. Like many NFL deals, they are dramatically different than what was first reported.
For all intents and purposes, Sherman is only guaranteed $7 million through 2018. He is expected to reach that figure due to a $3 million signing bonus, $2 million for passing a physical on the first day of training camp, and $2 million base salary, via ProFootballTalk. Sherman will get paid $125,000 per game active, meaning he could earn up to $2 million if he stays healthy. There are also incentives for playing 90 percent of the snaps and Pro Bowl/All-Pro bonuses that could bump this year's total to $13 million.
That's where the good news for Sherman ends. In 2019 and 2020, Sherman's base salary is either $7 or $8 million with the same incentives package. But it's possible he might never even see those years. Thanks to Sherman's relatively small $3 million signing bonus, the 49ers would only be taxed with a $2 million cap hit if they release him in 2019 or $1 million hit if they release him in 2020.
There's no guarantee the Patriots would have netted Sherman if they had pursued him. Sherman, who was operating without an agent, signed with the first team he visited. The 49ers make a lot of sense, given their proximity to his alma mater, Stanford, and rivalry with the Seahawks. They also have a young quarterback named Jimmy Garoppolo who's now the highest-paid passer in the NFL. San Francisco should be a coveted free agent landing spot for years to come.
But the Patriots apparently didn't even reach out to Sherman. That's inexcusable, especially because Sherman reportedly wanted to play for them. If New England had made an overture, perhaps he would have told the 49ers to wait. Or maybe, the agent-less Sherman would have visited the Patriots first.
As WEEI's Ryan Hannable notes, the Patriots have just over $20 million in cap space this offseason. They also must prioritize re-signing Nate Solder, who will almost certainly be paid like a top-10 tackle in free agency.
But the Patriots would have been able to handle Sherman's team-friendly deal. The defense, which surrendered 41 points to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, could use him. Tom Brady could use him, too.
For some reason, Bill Belichick reportedly didn't even pick up the phone.
This post has been updated to clarify Richard Sherman's dead money cap hit if released.
