Richard Sherman is reportedly about to be cut as the Seahawks continue their tear-down

• The Seattle Seahawks are expected to release the star cornerback Richard Sherman.
• This is just one of many moves Seattle is making as part of a dramatic offseason overhaul.
• Seattle would have kept Sherman if he had been willing to take a pay cut, but he was not.

A report from Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times indicates that the Seattle Seahawks will soon release cornerback Richard Sherman, completing a dramatic overhaul of one of the more successful defenses in recent NFL history.

The talented, brash defender has been one of the faces of a team that appeared in two Super Bowls and won one, success built on a hard-hitting defensive identity and the vaunted “Legion of Boom” secondary.

But a move to release Sherman, coupled with a recent trade of defensive end Michael Bennett, is a sign Seattle is ready to tear down its defense and build a new team with a new identity.

Danny Kelly of The Ringer writes: “Seattle’s front office saw the 2017 season as one last chance to go all in on an attempt to win another Super Bowl with most of the nucleus of its formerly dominant defense still intact before blowing things up and starting anew.”

And Condotta noted that money was a big factor in the decision to release Sherman, who is set to make $11 million next season. Condotta says that the team was interested in trying to get Sherman to agree to a pay cut but that he “balked” at such a proposal.

Seattle has had an incredibly eventful offseason so far, having also let go of several coaches including both its offensive and defensive coordinators. It’s difficult to say at this point what the Seahawks team will look like next year, though it’s worth pointing out that Seattle still has Russell Wilson, and a franchise quarterback is a great starting point for any NFL team looking to rebuild.