Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: C Evan Brown - Veteran Upgrade?

Performing at a high level as an injury replacement for the Detroit Lions over the past two seasons, Evan Brown will finally have an opportunity to secure a long-term starting gig at center with the Seattle Seahawks, though worthy competition awaits.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 9, 2023 5:30 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of 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 2023 campaign.

Evan Brown, Center

Height/Weight: 6-2, 305 pounds

2022 Stats: Two sacks, 22 pressures allowed

Going undrafted out of SMU, Brown began his NFL journey signing with the Giants and bounced around with three teams in his first two professional seasons, playing just 17 special teams snaps in five games and spending most of that span on practice squads. But after biding his time waiting for a chance to play, he made the Lions roster as a backup to Frank Ragnow and when the Pro Bowler went down with an injury, he seized his opportunity. Allowing just one sack and eight quarterback pressures in 13 starts, he played well enough to earn a starting job next to Ragnow at right guard last season.

Statistically, Brown wasn't near as effective in pass protection last season, but he still only yielded two sacks and he played a near flawless game in a single start filling in for Ragnow against a talented Washington defensive line. Having kept tabs on him for a couple of seasons, following the retirement of former starting center Austin Blythe, Seattle swept in and signed him to a one-year deal in free agency as a potential long-term replacement.

Best-Case Scenario: Continuing to shine at his natural center position, Brown quickly picks up a new offense and takes command making line calls on run and pass plays, preventing rookie Olu Oluwatimi from overtaking him in training camp and the preseason before turning in a strong season to set himself up for a nice payday in free agency next March.

Worst-Case Scenario: Though he opens camp working with the first-team offense, Brown struggles a bit in pass protection and a polished Oluwatimi wastes little time leap-frogging him on the depth chart to earn the Week 1 starting nod for the Seahawks, sending the veteran to bench to receive only a handful of offensive snaps before departing as a free agent next spring.

What to Expect in 2023: Only 26 years old, while his contract may suggest otherwise, the Seahawks didn't sign Brown with the intention of him being a stop-gap starter. The franchise has played musical chairs at the position since Justin Britt left after the 2019 season with three different starters in the past four seasons and will give the physical veteran a chance to prove himself as a potential long-term building block in the trenches to provide much-needed stability at the position.

However, the arrival of Oluwatimi undoubtedly puts extra pressure on Brown, who will have far less margin for error with the reigning Rimington Award winner also vying for immediate snaps as Blythe's successor. Set to partake in arguably Seattle's most important positional battle in training camp, he will have to perform at a high level in pass protection, consistently create push at the line of scrimmage as a run blocker, and demonstrate full command of the offense to stay atop the depth chart in August. If he's able to do that and fend off the rookie, he may have a future with the franchise beyond 2023.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles