5 SF 49ers free agents who follow Robert Saleh to NY Jets

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Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers speaks to teammates Adrian Colbert #27 and Jaquiski Tartt #29 (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

No. 1: SF 49ers DB Richard Sherman

The most likely candidate to leave the SF 49ers and go to Saleh’s new team is current cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman was brutally honest about his contract situation, citing the cap shortage and the number of players before him as priorities.

It will be extremely unlikely he returns to San Francisco.

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When Sherman was signed in 2018, he was coming off an Achilles tear but was still in the relative waning stages of his prime. Not anymore. Sherman is an elder statesman, and if this year showed anything, his days of playing cornerback are numbered.

However, Sherman has also been vocal about a transition to safety in his career, and Saleh schemed him into those types of situations numerous times as the 2020 season came to an end. With money to use and an opening at free safety, adding Sherman to the Jets secondary wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

The real reason, though, why Sherman will likely follow Saleh and why Saleh will embrace him with open arms, is the culture shift.

Sherman took the secondary under his wings during his tenure as a SF 49ers player, helping build a strong accountable culture that has taken root in the defense currently. He was a Niners enemy for many years, but his intangibles have helped shape this team for years to come.

For a team that needs a complete wash following a disastrous tenure, it’s that type of wisdom that will help shape the Jets in Saleh’s tenure for years to come.

Next. SF 49ers: 4 potential replacements for Robert Saleh in 2021. dark

To learn more about what DeMeco Ryans, the reported replacement for Saleh, will bring to the table, take a look at the article above, which talks about him and others for the job Saleh will be vacating.