There's nothing hotter in the NFL right now than Richard Sherman trade rumors. The Seahawks aren't even thinking about ducking the rumors and Sherman has acknowledged them. Sherman might even be fueling them.
There have been several teams interested, including the Patriots, although those rumors cooled recently. It could be the Patriots having already secured the services of Stephon Gilmore, or maybe the Pats being unable to move Malcolm Butler. Or maybe the Patriots don't like the Seahawks' reported asking price for Sherman in a trade.
The Seahawks reportedly want a Darrelle Revis-style package in exchange for Sherman (Revis was traded from the Jets to the Bucs for the No. 13 overall pick and a fourth-round pick), which is a deal-breaker for the Patriots because they don't have a first-round pick this year.
But what if things got really crazy and a third team could get involved to help supply the Seahawks with enough picks to make them willing to deal Sherman? There's a team that fits the bill perfectly here: the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns badly want something the Patriots have, Jimmy Garoppolo, while the Browns have something the Seahawks want: a high first-round pick. And the Seahawks have something the Patriots want: Sherman. You get Sherman on the roster with Gilmore (and Butler?) and you're going to have a decent secondary moving forward.
In this hypothetical deal, the Seahawks send Sherman to the Patriots, the Patriots send Garoppolo to the Browns, and the Browns send the No. 12 overall pick plus a conditional fourth-round pick to the Seahawks as well as the No. 33 overall pick to the Patriots.
The Patriots don't appear willing to give up Garoppolo. It's understandable, because he provides insurance in the event something happens to Tom Brady in 2017. They can franchise tag and trade Garoppolo next offseason and still get a haul. But the difference here is they probably can't get a guy of Sherman's quality. Sherman is one of the best corners in football, still only 29 years old and under team control for two years at a reasonable cost. The Seahawks not wanting him is a red flag, of course, but Bill Belichick's specialty is bringing in allegedly disgruntled veterans and having them buy into his system.
The Seahawks, we think, would jump at this if they're really willing to deal Sherman. And it reminds us of the last time Seattle ended up with two first rounders, landing Russell Okung and Earl Thomas in the 2010 NFL Draft. There isn't a guarantee of a player of Thomas' quality being available, for sure, and the offensive line prospects are question marks, but the talent is there for the Seahawks to come away with a first-round haul.
For the Browns, this is a no-brainer move because they get Garoppolo for a reasonable enough price without giving up any future picks. Yeah, you would like to hold onto No. 33, but come away with Myles Garrett and a veteran QB and you're not feeling bad.
To recap:
Patriots get:
- Richard Sherman
- No. 33 overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft
Seahawks get:
- No. 12 overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft
- Conditional fourth-round pick in 2018 NFL Draft
Browns get:
- Jimmy Garoppolo
Now on to the picks.
1. Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M: There are rumors percolating about the Browns possibly taking someone other than Garrett with the top overall pick, but for now we're going to keep him here, thanks in large part to the trade they just pulled off in this mock draft.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina: This makes more sense to me than to other people apparently. Trubisky fits what Kyle Shanahan wants to do and is the best quarterback prospect in this class.
3. Chicago Bears
Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama: Don't really see/haven't really seen a need to stray from this pick for Chicago throughout the process. Allen is a guy who makes sense for them on a number of levels.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU: This pick, like everything else the Jaguars do this offseason, has to be about helping Blake Bortles. And grabbing Fournette does help the quarterback by taking pressure off and beefing up this rushing attack.
5. Tennessee Titans (from Los Angeles Rams)
Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford: It's hard to see him getting out of the top five at this point (I don't believe he'll slide past No. 8) and the Titans can always use some more talent capable of generating pressure up front, even if it's not a total schematic fit.
6. New York Jets
Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson: The Jets can "redshirt" Watson (or any other quarterback) thanks to signing Josh McCown. Watson can handle the stage in New York and would be ready to play right away if needed.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Jamal Adams, S, LSU: This would be a delightful break for the Chargers, who get to add another piece to an outstanding defense that is heavily underrated in terms of how it will rank next season.
8. Carolina Panthers
Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee: I continue to maintain and will continue to maintain that the Panthers are best served by adding a blue-chip pass rusher in the top 10 of this draft. It sets up well for them to either land Barnett or Thomas here.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
John Ross, WR, Washington: Mixing things up a bit! The Bengals need to get A.J. Green some help outside and could go with a couple different options here. Ross is my personal favorite and would be a nice complement to Green.
10. Buffalo Bills
Mike Williams, WR, Clemson: The Bills also need to get some help for Tyrod Taylor and do so by pairing Williams with another first-round pick out of Clemson in Sammy Watkins.
11. New Orleans Saints
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State: The Saints have to improve on defense with their pair of first-round picks, and snagging Lattimore here is a fantastic start.
12. TRADE: Seattle Seahawks (from Philadelphia via Cleveland)
Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky: The Seahawks need offensive line help but aren't in a great spot with their second pick. The move to slide up here by dealing Richard Sherman (hypothetically) gives them a high pick to snag an offensive lineman who can impact their roster immediately.
13. Arizona Cardinals
Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Texas Tech: The Cardinals have a perfect redshirt situation and Mahomes is the big-armed gunslinger that could work in Bruce Arians' system if given a year to sit back and learn behind Carson Palmer.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota)
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford: This continues to be a pick that makes a lot of sense for me. The Eagles can surround Carson Wentz with an incredible amount of talent in his second year by adding McCaffrey and potentially unleash a prolific offense.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama: This team needs to get more physical at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but it also needs to just get better in terms of talent. Foster would do that immediately.
16. Baltimore Ravens
Haason Reddick, LB, Temple: The Ravens will figure out a way to deploy this freakishly athletic and extremely talented football player on defense.
17. Washington Redskins
Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State: Washington might have more pressing needs, but adding a ball-hawking safety like Hooker to this defense would be a big plus at this point in the draft.
18. Tennessee Titans
Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan: Talk about a draft coming up aces for a team with two picks. The Titans are walking out of the first round with a premium pass rusher and a top target for Marcus Mariota.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State: This all hinges on how the Bucs really feel about Doug Martin, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them invest early in the running back position, given how good Cook is, given Martin is facing a four-game suspension and given the possibility of this being a "win now" year for Tampa.
20. Denver Broncos
Ryan Ramczyk, OL, Wisconsin: The Broncos are going to roll with Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian and they need to give whoever starts some protection while simultaneously improving the team's running game.
21. Detroit Lions
David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.): The Lions are debating whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Eric Ebron. Even if they do, Njoku could be a very nice selection to groom in the event Detroit doesn't want to offer Ebron a long-term deal.
22. Miami Dolphins
Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State: The Dolphins have some pieces on the secondary but getting a stud corner like Conley late in the first round would go a long way toward helping their defensive backfield.
23. New York Giants
Cam Robinson, OL, Alabama: Protecting Eli Manning should be a huge priority for the Giants in this draft, even with several high offensive-line picks already on the roster. Adding depth and pro-ready talent in Robinson would benefit Manning.
24. Oakland Raiders
Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida: Oakland has a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but one place it could use help is at linebacker. Davis could fit outside or inside in a 4-3 scheme, so he gives the Raiders flexibility depending on how else their starters at the position shake out.
25. Houston Texans
DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame: Pressure can do funny things to teams, like make them sign Brock Osweiler to a $72 million deal and then give up a second-round pick to get rid of his contract. The Texans have major quarterback pressure and could chase the best arm in the draft.
26. Seattle Seahawks
Takkarist McKinley, LB, UCLA: The obvious move is for the Seahawks to double down on their investment in the offensive line here, but McKinley falling this late feels like a real opportunity for Seattle to invest in a freaky athlete who can rush the passer.
27. Kansas City Chiefs
Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt: The Chiefs are getting a little long in the tooth at linebacker and Cunningham has the athleticism that would fit well early on into this defense.
28. Dallas Cowboys
Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan: Getting more young bodies who can rush the passer should be a priority for the Cowboys in the draft, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them go defense with their first several picks.
29. Green Bay Packers
Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama: The Packers need help in the secondary, and Humphrey would give them a guy with the upside to anchor the defense if he can acclimate to Dom Capers' defense.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
Adoree' Jackson, CB, Southern California: The Steelers need additional depth and talent at corner, and while Jackson might need a year of seasoning to really be ready for the next level, he has huge upside.
31. Atlanta Falcons
Charles Harris, DE, Missouri: Atlanta has improved the run defense during the offseason and now it could stand to add more talent in terms of the pass rush.
32. New Orleans Saints
T.J. Watt, LB, Wisconsin: Having already added help in the secondary with a cornerback early in the draft, the Saints opt to add a linebacker with some decent familial lineage who has a ton of upside.
BONUS PICK: 33. New England Patriots (via Cleveland)
Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan: The versatile playmaker is a modern day type of player that you can envision Bill Belichick taking hold of and putting in different positions around the field to craft an incredibly dangerous defensive weapon.