Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Duane Brown

Rebounding nicely from a difficult season marred by injuries, a rejuvenated Brown turned in one of the best campaigns of his career protecting Russell Wilson's blind side in 2020. Set to turn 36 years old in August and seeking a new contract, will he continue to perform at an elite level in 2021?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 27, 2021 7:00 PM EDT

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.

Duane Brown, Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 315 pounds

2020 stats: 2.0 sacks allowed in 16 games

After dealing with nagging bicep and knee injuries throughout the 2019 season and missing four games, many wrote off Brown heading into his 13th season. But thanks in large part to a reduced practice workload and revised offseason training program, the veteran tackle proved his doubters wrong and played some of his best football on Sundays. Returning to his prior form at 35 years of age, he earned top five grades among qualified tackles in both pass protection and run blocking from Pro Football Focus. While starting all 16 games for the Seahawks, he allowed just a pair of sacks and committed only two penalties, continuing to exhibit his mastery mirroring rushers and mixing up hand usage to keep them honest. He also remains one of the most athletic tackles in the game despite his advancing age, continuing to excel as a pulling perimeter lead blocker against corners and safeties on sweeps. While he didn't earn a fifth career Pro Bowl selection as he deserved, he re-established himself as one of the NFC's best blindside protectors.

Best Case Scenario: Dodging "Father Time" and picking up where he left off in 2020, Brown shows no signs of slowing down and remains healthy for all 17 regular season games, leading one of the most improved offensive lines and earning his third career All-Pro selection.

Worst Case Scenario: Past knee issues crop up early in the season and even reduced practice time isn't enough to help the aging Brown rebound on the field, leading the team to turn to sixth-round pick Stone Forsythe far earlier than expected as his heir apparent.

What to Expect in 2021: Entering the final year of his current contract, Brown didn't participate in on-field drills during OTAs or mandatory minicamp and reportedly wants a new deal. The Seahawks have other fish to fry first, including re-signing safety Jamal Adams, but even with his 36th birthday approaching, the franchise shouldn't have any hesitations about giving him a short extension of his own. He takes outstanding care of his body, has yet to show any notable signs of decline, and offers great leadership on the field and in the locker room, so re-signing him beyond 2021 should be a priority once Adams' deal has been taken care of. Moving forward, Seattle will continue to keep Brown fresh with a diminished practice plan and as long as he stays healthy, he should continue to be one of the top tackles in the NFC for at least a few more years and provide invaluable protection for Russell Wilson.