Seahawks, Richard Sherman seem to need each other

If you were waiting for the this-is-over, there-is-nothing-to-see-here moment, you would have left disappointed Monday. There was no real kibosh, no real Kumbaya, no real killing of the ubiquitous trade talk we have been hearing for weeks.

Meeting with the local media three days before the NFL draft, Seahawks general manager John Schneider fielded several questions about Richard Sherman, whose future in Seattle has been as hazy as the record-setting rainy skies. The takeaway? He’ll probably be back this fall — but only because the Hawks couldn’t get what they wanted for him.

This is just an interpretation, of course. Schneider didn’t say any of that explicitly, but seemed to imply it by what he didn’t say.

There wasn’t a “we’re not the same without Richard” or “any issues we had are behind us.” Instead, we got the following:

“Right now we have kind of moved past it,” Schneider said when asked about the prospect of dealing Sherman. “If somebody calls and goes crazy with something, then we’ll discuss it again.”

That doesn’t sound as if Sherman and management had a tear-filled breakthrough that ended in a warm embrace. It sounded more like an offer that justifies parting with one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks simply never arrived.

Schneider went on to say that if a certain level of “compensation” were proposed, the Seahawks would have to consider it. He added how it would allow the team to get younger and free up salary-cap room in the process.

It’s hard to imagine a GM even floating those ideas if he wasn’t still open to making a deal. Which leads to another question: Why be so open about all these Sherman-related trade talks?

“I don’t like necessarily lying to people,” Schneider said. “I was asked a direct question about it.”

There are a couple ways to react to this answer. The first is to say, “Um … you can still defuse a situation without lying about it.”

After all, Schneider was asked direct questions about draft needs and self-scouting mistakes Monday, but declined to answer them. Couldn’t he have taken the same tack when asked about Sherman trade talks?

Yeah, maybe. Except that reports indicate Sherman is just as open to being dealt as the Seahawks are to dealing him. So in that sense, Schneider’s candor wasn’t insulting — it was just honest and reflective of both sides’ interests.

So things won’t be awkward between Richard and the Seahawks if nothing gets done?

“No, because of the open communication that we have. I can’t be any more honest with you than that,” Schneider said. “I had seen (the trade rumors) on the ticker myself, so I didn’t think it was a big deal to talk about it because of the relationship we have.”

This is where things get a little murkier. If a 29-year-old player on a Super Bowl contender wants out, he has to be genuinely discontent. A fresh start means nothing if you’re playing for the Browns or another cellar dweller, which could be where Sherman ends up.

At the same time, a cornerback-thin team like the Seahawks wouldn’t consider trading a four-time Pro Bowler if they were sure he was going give them his best.

It’s hard to remember a time when management so publicly discussed dealing a star player before actually doing it. But I’m not sure said public discussion added to any strain that already existed.

If Sherman desires a change of scenery, it’s hard to blame the Seahawks’ brass for putting it out there. In fact, Schneider seeking trade partners might actually make Richard feel more respected in the long run.

My guess is the Seahawks are still very much open to dealing Sherman. My guess is they also realize how unlikely that is as draft day nears.

So maybe now the objective becomes something different — maybe now the objective becomes compromise.

Obviously, the Seahawks have to make clear that Sherman’s 2016 behavior won’t be tolerated. But once that’s established, they have to make him feel as welcome as his hypothetical new team would have.

Like it or not, the Hawks need Sherman — and he most likely needs them.

If Richard does come back, what needs to happen to clear the air?

“It’s just been time … the season ended for them a long time ago,” Schneider said. “Time heals all wounds.”

Unless those wounds go untreated. Then, time just makes them worse.