Tre Brown 'Really Close' to Returning, Bolstering Seahawks' Secondary Competition
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RENTON, Wash. - With rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant already shining and etching their names into franchise and NFL record books, more help may be on the way for the Seahawks secondary.
According to coach Pete Carroll, second-year cornerback Tre Brown continues to make great progress in his recovery from a patellar tendon injury in his knee. Closing in on a year since suffering the injury against Arizona last November, the former Oklahoma standout has been on the PUP list since training camp opened in late July and Seattle has been precautious ensuring he isn't brought back too quickly.
"Tre is really starting to go. He’s really close and he’s running really fast, he’s changing direction," Carroll said of Brown's status. "It’s just, can he endure it and keep coming back? He’s not very far away now. I would say we are a couple of weeks away maybe and he should really be fighting to get back out there."
Last season, Brown took over as the Seahawks starting left cornerback in Week 8 and prior to going down, the fourth-round pick performed at an impressively high level and contributed to the team's second half resurgence on defense. Per Pro Football Focus, in five games played with three starts, he allowed only seven completions on 18 targets with no touchdowns and a pass breakup as opposing quarterbacks posted a mediocre 59.7 rating against him in coverage.
Brown also came through in the clutch with some crucial plays for Seattle in his limited action as a rookie. In a Week 6 loss to Pittsburgh, he flew up from his zone responsibility on a third down play early in overtime to blast receiver Ray Ray McCloud, forcing a punt. Three games later, he broke up a fourth down pass from Aaron Rodgers to receiver Allan Lazard, keeping his team down only three points in Green Bay.
While Carroll admitted he's playing the role of a cheerleader right now hoping Brown will be back practicing within a few weeks and wouldn't give a definitive timeline, he's eager to see where he fits in at cornerback after playing well last season. Upon his return, with Woolen and Bryant excelling at right corner and the slot respectively, he will likely compete for playing time on the left side against Mike Jackson, Sidney Jones, and Artie Burns.
"I’m really excited to see him," Carroll remarked. "I love when he was playing for us. He did a really good job. To add him to the competition would be great.”
In additional injury news, Carroll indicated running back Travis Homer is "chomping at the bit" to return to practice next week when he's eligible to be activated from injured reserve, but it remains to be seen if he will be ready. Defensive tackle L.J. Collier, who was designated to return from injured reserve two weeks ago, is "really close" returning after injuring his thumb in practice last week according to Carroll.
The Seahawks must activate Collier to the 53-man roster by next Tuesday or he will revert back to injured reserve for the rest of the season, so a major decision awaits.
On the flip side, linebackers Alton Robinson and Daryl Johnson, who are on injured reserve with knee and foot injuries respectively, still appear to be several weeks away from getting back on the field. Receiver Penny Hart also didn't practice on Wednesday with a hamstring injury and Carroll didn't sound optimistic about his chances of playing against the Chargers on Sunday.
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