SEATTLE (AP) Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said Wednesday the team has listened to trade offers regarding cornerback Richard Sherman, but downplayed that a deal may actually happen.
Schneider made his comments in an interview with KIRO-AM . Schneider said, ''What you've seen lately in the news is real. That's on both sides,'' in regard to recent rumblings that teams have inquired about Sherman.
Schneider's comments back those made by Seattle coach Pete Carroll during the NFL owners' meetings last week in Arizona. Carroll said the team always entertains calls about players, but didn't anticipate anything happening with Sherman.
Schneider also gave the impression that a deal was unlikely to happen on Wednesday, but Seattle is sending a message that it is clearly listening when it comes to its former All-Pro cornerback.
''It's just open communication. He knows what's going on. We know what's going on,'' Schneider said. ''I don't know if anything would ever happen, but like I tell people all the time, 98 percent of the deals that we're involved with, we don't follow through with. But at least we've opened that door, gone down the road and seen what's behind Door A or Door B.''
Sherman has spent his entire career with the Seahawks. He's coming off his most volatile season that included two sideline blowups during games when he clashed with coaches and had to be pulled aside by teammates. He's also part of a defense that is getting older - Sherman just turned 29 - and the upcoming draft is loaded with talent in the secondary.
Schneider said there has been clear communication with Sherman about what is going on, saying the trade rumors haven't been a secret and they're not going to lie about what is happening.
''It's going to be all laid out, and like I said, that doesn't happen everywhere,'' Schneider said. ''We have open lines of communication between our coaching staff and our player personnel staff. It goes through player development, it goes through our sports science group. There's a lot going on there.''
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