Seahawks Expect Brandon Shell to Return, Face Former Team in Week 14

With a date upcoming against the team that drafted him at Lumen Field, Brandon Shell has his sights set on returning to action for the Seahawks when they face the Jets in Week 14.

According to coach Pete Carroll, Shell and reserve tackle Cedric Ogbuehi are both expected to practice this week, providing a boost for an offensive line that has been hamstrung by injuries in recent weeks.

“Brandon Shell should be getting real close, he’s steadily improving,” Carroll said on his Monday morning radio show on ESPN 710. “He wasn’t well enough to play, but he has a good chance to practice some this week. It will probably take us all the way to the end of the week to know."

Sidelined for the past two weeks with a high ankle sprain, Seattle has badly missed Shell's presence at the right tackle position. Ogbuehi struggled as his replacement against Philadelphia in Week 12, surrendering six quarterback pressures. After Ogbuehi suffered his own calf injury, the team was forced to use third and fourth-string tackles Jamarco Jones and Chad Wheeler in a loss to the New York Giants on Sunday.

From Shell's perspective, along with wanting to obviously aid the Seahawks final push for a playoff spot, he has another reason for wanting to return this week. The Jets selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and he's chomping at the bit for the opportunity to compete against his former team.

Though Carroll understands why Shell and safety Jamal Adams will have extra motivation after undesirable exits from New York, he plans to talk with both players to make sure the situation doesn't become a distraction that prevents them from playing at their best.

"It's a big deal to these guys," Carroll stated during his Monday press conference. "It's always a big deal when you go back home and I think the first thing is to acknowledge that it is a big deal and then to realize that you don't want to let that factor into your ability to focus and concentrate and do your job and all that. "

Signed to a two-year contract in March, Shell has arguably been the Seahawks best free agent signing in terms of overall value and production. Starting the first 10 games of the season, the fifth-year tackle has allowed three sacks and five quarterback hits on nearly 450 pass plays, earning a respectable 79.3 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

While he hasn't been near as solid as a run blocker, the 6-foot-5, 324-pound Shell hasn't been much of a downgrade compared to former starter Germain Ifedi and has three games under his belt with at least a 67.5 grade in that department. For the season, he has a 61.5 run blocking grade overall.

Getting Shell back in the starting lineup for the final stretch run would be a game changer for Seattle's offensive line, as the group has struggled in recent weeks and contributed to allowing five sacks on quarterback Russell Wilson last weekend.

Shell isn't the only notable starter who has an excellent chance to suit up against the Jets, as Carroll indicated cornerback Quinton Dunbar will return to practice this week after a three-week stint on injured reserve with a knee injury. If all goes well, he will be activated to the 53-man roster and could start opposite of Shaquill Griffin on Sunday.

"I'm excited that he's coming back out," Carroll said. "He's has a really good process to get back. He's been able to condition more so than he had before and work on it, and I'm hoping his knee has really quieted down. We'll just have to wait and see how the week goes, but he is going to practice."