It was previously reported this spring that the Patriots inquired about trading for Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman before New England eventually decided to sign free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the biggest deal the team has ever given a player on the open market.

But, according to the Boston Herald, the Patriots may still have interest in Sherman. The paper reported on Wednesday that if New England were to "lose" Malcolm Butler then the team "could very likely increase their focus on prying Sherman from the Seahawks."

The only way the Patriots would "lose" the Super Bowl hero Butler is if the team decided not to match an offer sheet another team gives the restricted free agent before April 21 or if New England decided to trade him after he signs his $3.91 million restricted free agent tender. Either way, the Patriots essentially control where Butler plays in 2017.

The Herald report comes the same day that an ESPN radio station in Seattle aired an interview in which Seahawks GM John Schneider confirmed that the team has had discussions with other teams regarding a Sherman trade, those talks dating back to the NFL Scouting Combine in late February.

Sherman is a veteran of six NFL seasons who just turned 29 years old. He's a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. The 6-3, 195 pounder out of Stanford has never missed an NFL game while starting all 16 contests in each of the last five years. He's notched 30 career interceptions as a key cog in the Seattle "Legion of Boom" secondary that's been the backbone of the team's consistent defensive success in recent years.