Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman reportedly has a new role on the Legion of Boom, as he will cover more slot receivers this season, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
The Seahawks face quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers Sunday night, and Sherman is likely to test his new role against the Green Bay offense. The Seahawks beat the Packers last season in the NFC Championship game, but Rodgers did not throw the ball near Sherman the entire game. It makes sense to avoid one of the best corners in the game, but this time head coach Pete Carroll isn't letting that happen as Sherman will move from his usual stationary spot.
"Putting Richard inside it allows him to use all of the savvy and the instincts that he has," said Carroll, via Pro Football Talk. "He's a marvelous player in terms of awareness and vision and anticipation and all that."
Sherman moving around on defense keeps offenses on their heels, but it also doesn't allow teams to avoid him like they have in the past. The Seahawks are also likely moving him around because they are missing strong safety Kam Chancellor who has been holding out over a contract situation.
The St. Louis Rams threw the ball all over the field against the Legion of Boom, and some of that is due to the absence of Chancellor. Rams quarterback Nick Foles threw for 297 yards against the Seahawks. The major concern for the Seahawks was Foles, so what will happen against NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Pay attention to Sherman on Sunday night, because it will be interesting to see where he lines up. The Seahawks gave up 34 points to the Rams in their loss last week, and expect defensive coordinator Kris Richards to want to lower that number. Sherman's new role will likely strengthen Seattle's defense, as teams won't be able to avoid the star cornerback as much.
