Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Brandon Shell
With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.
Brandon Shell, Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 324 pounds
2020 Stats: Three sacks allowed in 11 starts
Seeking out a replacement for four-year starter Germain Ifedi, the Seahawks took a flier on Shell, who had started 40 games during his first four NFL seasons with the Jets, signing the ex-South Carolina standout to a two-year deal. While some fans questioned the move for a player who had fallen out of favor in New York due to inconsistent play, in terms of value, Shell may have been Seattle's best free agent addition a year ago. Out of 58 qualified tackles with 600 or more snaps, he finished 16th overall on Pro Football Focus with a 79.4 pass protection grade and allowed just five quarterback hits and three sacks at right tackle. He also proved to be far more disciplined than the Ifedi, receiving just four penalties during the season. A high ankle sprain cost Shell five games late in the regular season and he was hobbled during the team's wild card loss to the Rams, but kudos to general manager John Schneider for finding an upgrade at right tackle without breaking the bank.
Best Case Scenario: Avoiding a late season injury this time around, Shell plays at a borderline Pro Bowl level at right tackle protecting Russell Wilson and makes marked improvements as a run blocker, playing his way into a new multi-year contract extension in Seattle.
Worst Case Scenario: Unable to build off of momentum from 2020, Shell surprisingly gets pushed for playing time during training camp by veteran Cedric Ogbuehi and rookie Stone Forsythe, eventually losing his starting job during the regular season.
What to Expect in 2021: Earlier in the offseason, coach Pete Carroll hinted Shell would have to compete to retain his starting job against Ogbuehi, who played very well as an injury replacement in three starts last December. The organization also holds Forsythe in high regard and right tackle presents the quickest path to him seeing the field, so that situation could be worth monitoring at some point. But given how well Shell played a year ago, particularly in pass protection, it would be a huge surprise if he wasn't the Week 1 starter in Indianapolis and maintained his job throughout the season. Entering the final year of his contract, the 29-year old veteran should be motivated to perform at a high level as he did a year ago with hopes of earning a new contract in Seattle or cashing in during free agency as one of the top tackles on the market next March.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers
Alex McGough | Darvin Kidsy | Greg Eiland | Joshua Moon | Cam Sutton | Walter Palmore | Jared Hocker | Brad Lundblade | Aashari Crosswell | Myles Adams | Jon Rhattigan | Aaron Fuller | Bryan Mills I Jake Curhan | Jarrod Hewitt | Connor Wedington | Nate Evans | Danny Etling | John Ursua | Gavin Heslop | Pier-Oliver Lestage | Tommy Champion | Cody Thompson | Josh Johnson | Saivion Smith | Jordan Miller | Aaron Donkor | Robert Nkemdiche | Alex Collins | Tyler Mabry | Damarious Randall | Cade Johnson | Cedrick Lattimore | Phil Haynes | Geno Smith | Kyle Fuller | Travis Homer | Tyler Ott | Rasheem Green | Ben Burr-Kirven | Penny Hart | Jamarco Jones | Aldon Smith | DeeJay Dallas | Nick Bellore | Stone Forsythe | Colby Parkinson | Al Woods | Cedric Ogbuehi | Alton Robinson | Jordan Simmons | Pierre Desir | Ryan Neal | Tre Flowers | Michael Dickson | Jason Myers | Freddie Swain | Cody Barton | Bryan Mone | Benson Mayowa | Rashaad Penny | Ugo Amadi | Ethan Pocic | Tre Brown | Darrell Taylor | Will Dissly | Ahkello Witherspoon | Kerry Hyder | Marquise Blair
