Richard Sherman provides everything you could ask of the modern professional athlete. An elite talent capable of taking over a game by himself, Sherman is also a brash, hyperintelligent personality who is among the NFL's most eloquent thinkers, often driving the narrative about on- and off-field issues.
Sherman agreed to a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday and now provides his new, up-and-coming club with a much-needed identity.
Jimmy Garoppolo is clearly the face of the franchise, a notion Sherman wouldn't contend. Garoppolo was acquired from the New England Patriots and once 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan turned the offense over to his new quarterback, he took the league by storm. Although his outstanding play earned Garoppolo nicknames like "Jimmy GQ", "Gucci Garrop", "Optimus Dime" - not to mention a record-breaking contract - there's little about his personality that changes the culture of the 49ers.
Enter Sherman.
San Francisco's defense is brimming with young talent, but would you be able to identify Solomon Thomas, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, or Reuben Foster for an autograph if you saw them walking downtown? Probably not, unless you're a 49ers diehard, and that qualifier may not be enough. Malcolm Smith and Earl Mitchell are the only defensive starters who are 28 or older, and Sherman immediately becomes the leader of the secondary. Ahkello Witherspoon showed promise during his rookie year, while Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are capable safeties, but Sherman will be asked to lock down one side of the field as he routinely did in Seattle, while giving a largely anonymous group a powerful voice.
It should be noted Sherman is coming off an Achilles injury and turns 30 in three weeks, so it's possible we've already seen the best of him. However, he is an exceptionally cerebral player who seldom relied on his speed throughout his tenure with the Seahawks, leading many to believe his game will age well with the 49ers. Sherman's unwavering confidence helped the Seahawks become the defining defense of their generation and his proven track record ought to make his new team better than a merely talented sum of parts. If the signing goes as planned, Sherman ought to invigorate a talented, young defense and put them over the top, while giving the media some great quotes in the process.
The term "culture change" is thrown around too often in sports, but that's precisely what Sherman provides: an identity for a loose collection of individuals still yet to reach their zenith. San Francisco will still build on its free-agency haul, knowing full well it has a defensive leader both on and off the field.
