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Duane Brown

Jets’ Mekhi Becton Experiencing More Knee Issues

August 8th, 2022 at 7:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:20pm: Becton’s knee injury is more concerning that originally believed, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). This is a new knee injury and isn’t related to the lineman’s previous knee issues, and both the player and organization should receiver some clarity on the severity tomorrow. As Connor Hughes of SNY tweets, there was initial optimism that Becton hadn’t even suffered a sprain, but a subsequent MRI revealed that the injury was worse than doctors initially thought.

3:27pm: The dislocated kneecap and MCL damage Mekhi Becton suffered in Week 1 of last season threw his career off track. Frequent rumors about his weight surfaced, and his stock within the Jets’ organization certainly plummeted. He has since been moved to right tackle.

Becton has now run into more knee trouble. He limped off a Jets practice field Monday and is going through an MRI, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Robert Saleh called the exam precautionary, but coupled with Becton’s history, this should sound some alarm bells for the Jets. This injury happened during the second play of an 11-on-11 period, per Cimini, who adds it came after Becton moved gingerly during individual drills.

Already wearing a bulky brace on his surgically repaired right knee, Becton is battling to stay a Jets starter. The team brought in Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown for a weekend visit, and George Fant has full-season experience at both left and right tackle. A scenario in which the Jets sign Brown and slide Fant to the right side appears to be in play. Brown visiting before this Becton setback is notable as well, as is the Jets’ consideration of Ikem Ekwonu with their No. 4 overall pick this April. The Jets remain interested in the former Texans and Seahawks blocker, per Cimini.

“We’ll see if he does take time off,” Saleh said of Becton. “Obviously, you’re concerned for everyone. … You just don’t want to get into a deficit of conditioning. He’s a big man. He’s been working his tail off and he’s done everything he’s been asked to do. Hopefully, he checks out good like we think he’s going to and he can continue on this track. I think he’s going to be fine.”

Gang Green’s first-round pick in 2020, Becton did not participate in OTAs or minicamp. Becton is believed to have still been around 390 pounds at minicamp, and although the Louisville product shed some weight ahead of training camp, Cimini adds his June weight was a point of frustration for some in the organization. Arriving ahead of Adam Gase‘s final year as Jets HC, Becton has played just 14 of a possible 33 games as a pro and has not finished six more due to various issues.

Backup tackle Conor McDermott is also week-to-week with a sprained ankle, adding to the issues the Jets are experiencing up front. They also hosted Riley Reiff ahead of training camp, but the veteran tackle signed with the Bears recently.

OT Duane Brown Visiting Jets

August 6th, 2022 at 11:38am CST by Ben Levine

Could Duane Brown be heading east? The veteran offensive tackle is visiting with the Jets and will attend their Green & White scrimmage tonight, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter).

Brown started all 17 games last season for Seattle and earned his first Pro Bowl nod since the 2017 campaign. He ended up ranking a respectable 37th among 83 eligible tackles on Pro Football Focus, with the site grading him pretty much the same for both pass blocking and run blocking.

Despite his performance, Brown remains unsigned in August. There have been rumblings throughout the offseason that the Seahawks could re-sign him, but that ship probably sailed once the team selected Mississippi State LT Charles Cross with the ninth-overall pick in the draft. The Panthers were also briefly connected to the soon-to-be 37-year-old lineman, but that’s about it for reported suitors. Off the field, Brown was arrested back in July after trying to go through security screening with a gun in one of his bags, and he was booked on possession of a concealed firearm.

The Seahawks had deployed Brown as Russell Wilson‘s blindside blocker since acquiring him in a trade with the Texans in October 2017. After starting each of his 133 games for Houston, Brown started all 70 of his appearances in Seattle. The five-time Pro Bowler missed 16 games between 2015 and 2019, but he hasn’t missed a start over the past two years.

The Jets have been seeking some offensive tackle depth. They previously had Riley Reiff in for a visit before he signed with the Bears. It sounds like George Fant won the LT competition and is going to head into the season as the starter, with Mekhi Becton being demoted to the RT spot. Fant underwent offseason knee injury, while Becton was limited to only one game in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Brown would provide an experienced and reliable option behind that duo, especially over the likes of rookie Max Mitchell, Chuma Edoga, and Conor McDermott.

Free Agent LT Duane Brown Arrested

July 10th, 2022 at 7:30am CST by Rory Parks

Free agent left tackle Duane Brown was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at roughly 2pm on Saturday, per TMZ Sports. Police say that Brown tried to go through security screening with a gun in one of his bags, and he was booked on possession of a concealed firearm.

Brown, who will turn 37 in August, has long been one of the top left tackles in the game. Despite his strong 2021 performance, in which he enjoyed perfect attendance, earned the fifth Pro Bowl nod of his career, and rated as Pro Football Focus’ 37th-best OT out of 83 qualifiers, there has not been significant interest in his services this offseason.

The Seahawks had deployed Brown as Russell Wilson‘s blindside blocker since acquiring him in a trade with the Texans in October 2017, and Seattle was reportedly interested in a reunion earlier this year. However, that was when the ‘Hawks, who held the No. 9 overall pick in April’s draft, were not expected to have a chance to land a top collegiate tackle. Ultimately, the club selected Mississippi State LT Charles Cross with its first choice, and it appears that Cross will open his rookie season as the starter at left tackle.

Similarly, the Panthers were in pursuit of Brown back in March, but a deal never materialized. The door to a contract with Carolina may have closed when the Panthers drafted NC State tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick, although the team is reportedly not committing to Ekwonu — who lined up at guard in high school and at times during his college career — as the Week 1 LT starter. Carolina could bring in Brown on a one-year pact while Ekwonu gets his professional sea legs on the interior of the line, but that is merely speculation at this point.

One way or another, it would be surprising if Brown were unable to land a starting gig at some point this summer. Quality left tackles are hard to come by, and Brown demonstrated in 2021 that he still has gas in the tank. While his arrest could theoretically complicate matters, it presently does not seem as if it will have a dramatic effect on his NFL future.

We will update this story as more news becomes available.

Seahawks Open To Duane Brown Return, Interested In Trevor Penning

April 24th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Rory Parks

We heard in March that the Panthers were pursuing free agent LT Duane Brown, though nothing has materialized on that front just yet. Brown, who spent the last 4+ seasons as Russell Wilson‘s blindside blocker in Seattle, could still return to the Seahawks, according to head coach Pete Carroll (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times on Twitter).

While Carroll has said the door to a reunion remains open, Condotta expects the team to wait until after the draft (which is now just four days away) to make a decision with respect to Brown or other veteran OTs. Indeed, the Seahawks hold the No. 9 overall pick in the draft as a result of the trade that sent Wilson to the Broncos, and they may want to use that pick on a collegiate left tackle from a class that offers a great deal of high-upside talent at the position.

Alabama’s Evan Neal and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu are widely expected to be off the board by the time Seattle is on the clock with its No. 9 selection, and none of the sources that Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network has spoken to believe that Mississippi State’s Charles Cross will fall past the Panthers’ No. 6 choice. Assuming the ‘Hawks do not have a chance to draft any of those players, Pauline hears that the team is prepared to pull the trigger on Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning.

The small school product did not necessarily profile as a top-10 prospect at the start of draft season, but his stock has risen considerably since the Senior Bowl, and his 6-7, 321-pound frame certainly projects well to the professional ranks. And, although his FCS competition level should certainly be taken into account when evaluating his NFL future, Pro Football Focus’ analysis of Penning includes a 99.9 run-blocking grade, the highest mark that PFF has ever given out.

The Seahawks and Panthers are the only teams to be connected to Brown thus far this year, and if both clubs fill their LT vacancies with high-end rookies, one would assume that they would no longer be interested in the five-time Pro Bowler. Still, there will be teams with a left tackle need once the draft is over, and Brown should be able to find a starting role on a short-term contract despite the fact that he will turn 37 in August.

Panthers Pursuing LT Duane Brown

March 20th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Rory Parks

The free agent market for left tackles is starting to heat up. The Dolphins are reportedly chasing LT Terron Armstead, and the Panthers are pursuing the other top blindside blocker on the market, Duane Brown, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets.

Brown, who will turn 37 in August, spent the first nine-plus years of his career with the Texans after Houston made him the No. 26 overall pick of the 2008 draft. That stint included three consecutive Pro Bowl selections (and a First Team All-Pro bid) from 2012-14, and he held out of the first seven contests of the 2017 campaign in search of a new contract. He ultimately suited up for one game for the Texans in 2017 before being shipped to the Seahawks in a pre-deadline swap in October of that year.

In July 2018, Brown secured a three-year, $36.5MM extension from the Seahawks, which kept him under club control through 2021. Last summer, he engaged in a “hold-in” in an effort to land another extension in advance of his platform season, and while he did not get it, Seattle did agree to convert some of his per game roster bonuses to guarantees while also offering an injury protection benefit for 2022. Ultimately, that restructuring did not matter too much, as Brown played in all 17 games en route to his fifth career Pro Bowl nod.

The Panthers have been aggressive in upgrading their offensive front this offseason, signing center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett, but they are still in need of an LT. Carolina could ultimately upgrade that position in the draft, though the club may need to use its first-round selection on a QB since it missed out on Deshaun Watson.

Brown is obviously near the tail end of his career, but he has enjoyed perfect attendance in three of the last four years and has proven that he still has plenty left in the tank. Sam Darnold, or any other passer the Panthers put under center in 2022, would doubtlessly love to have him and Taylor Moton operating as bookends on the O-line.

It was reported at the end of February that the incumbent Seahawks were interested in re-signing Brown, but it’s unclear if a reunion is still in the cards. Of course, now that the ‘Hawks have traded QB Russell Wilson, it’s hard to say if Brown even wants to remain in the Emerald City. At the moment, though, Seattle’s Drew Lock-topped quarterback depth chart isn’t much less appealing (if at all) than Carolina’s Darnold-fronted crew, so Brown may wait to see what other options materialize unless the Panthers blow him away with the type of offer that he has been seeking for years.

Duane Brown In Seahawks’ 2022 Plans?

February 26th, 2022 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Duane Brown joined Jamal Adams in skipping Seahawks activities last summer and as a hold-in to start training camp. However, a restructured contract led Brown back onto the field. And the veteran left tackle played in all 17 Seahawks games last season.

The Seahawks again will face a decision on Brown, who resides as one of the NFL’s oldest players. The 36-year-old left tackle is on track for free agency, but the Seahawks appear interested in continuing this partnership. They are likely planning to re-sign Brown, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes.

A Pro Bowl alternate last season, Brown started every Seahawks game for the third time in his four full seasons with the team. The Seahawks extended Brown for three years and $34MM in the summer of 2018, but the veteran left tackle sought another contract last summer. Although Seattle did not extend Brown, the team’s compromise of additional guaranteed money and injury protection proved sufficient. Brown, a former Texans first-round pick who became a Seahawks trade addition in 2017, is now on track for free agency for the first time.

Russell Wilson backed the Seahawks keeping Brown in the fold last year. Although Wilson is again being mentioned in trade rumors, not too much has emerged on this front this year. Seattle’s roster also does not resemble a rebuilding team’s, which would make a Brown return logical. The Seahawks would likely appease Wilson by retaining Brown, who has started all 203 games he has played in his 14-year career.

Pro Football Focus slots Duane Brown as this year’s third-best left tackle free agent — behind Terron Armstead and Orlando Brown Jr. Armstead appears on track for free agency, but the Chiefs should be expected to use their franchise tag on Orlando Brown. Even approaching his late 30s, Duane Brown should still generate some interest on the market — if the Seahawks cannot complete an extension before the legal tampering period opens March 14. The Seahawks have nearly $35MM in projected cap space, ranking in the league’s top 10 here three-plus weeks away from free agency.

Contract Restructures: Graham, Nassib, Ryan

September 7th, 2021 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

With the start of Week 1 quickly approaching, NFL front offices are still finding ways to open some cap space. A handful of players restructured their contracts today, and we’ve compiled some of the notable transactions below:

  • TE Jimmy Graham, Bears: Converted $5.825MM of salary into signing bonus, opening $4.66MM in cap space while also adding four voidable years to contract (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). The veteran inked a two-year, $16MM deal with the Bears prior to last season, and he finished his first season in Chicago with 50 receptions for 456 yards and eight touchdowns.
  • DE Carl Nassib, Raiders: Converted $2.51MM of salary into a signing bonus, opening $2.008MM in cap space (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). Nassib inked a three-year, $25MM deal (including $16.75MM guaranteed) with the Raiders last offseason. The 28-year-old got into 14 games (five starts) during his first season in Las Vegas, finishing with 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and nine QB hits.
  • DB Logan Ryan, Giants: Converted “most of the base salary” into signing bonus (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). The veteran was set to earn around $5.5MM this upcoming season. After inking a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason, Ryan signed a three-year, $31MM extension (with $20MM guaranteed) in December. After switching from cornerback to safety, Ryan finished his first season in New York with 94 tackles, three forced fumbles, nine passes defended, and one interception.
  • OT Duane Brown, Seahawks: Converted $7MM of base salary into signing bonus, saving the team $3.5MM in cap space. After skipping training camp in pursuit of an extension, we learned earlier today that the veteran lineman got an extra year tacked onto his contract. Indeed, as veteran reporter John Clayton points out, Brown got an extra year “with an injury protection benefit for 2022.”

Seahawks, Duane Brown Reach Agreement

September 7th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Right before the start of the regular season, the Seahawks have taken care of one of their last remaining orders of business. Seattle has agreed to a deal with Duane Brown for him to play the 2021 season under, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The Seahawks will be “converting per game roster bonuses to guarantees” for this season while the veteran offensive tackle also gets an “injury protection benefit for 2022,” Rapsheet writes. We heard a couple of weeks ago the team was looking for a compromise, and they were able to get something done. Brown skipped training camp, staging a hold-in, in search of a new contract.

He didn’t get the extension he was hoping for, and will still become a free agent after this season, but at least he now has some injury protection for next year. For what it’s worth, Russell Wilson was vocal in his support for Brown this summer, not really giving the Seahawks much of a choice.

Brown will make around $10MM this year, a bargain for a blindside protector of his caliber. Despite turning 36 last month, the five-time Pro Bowler has remained a quality starter.

Brown isn’t any stranger to contract disputes, or to holding his ground. His holdout with the Texans in 2017 saw him sit out the first six games of the season, and eventually led to his trade to Seattle.

Latest On Seahawks, Duane Brown

August 26th, 2021 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Duane Brown‘s hold-in effort has now long surpassed Jamal Adams‘, with the Seahawks left tackle having observed the team’s practices for nearly a month. The team is looking into a compromise.

The Seahawks are now looking into adjusting Brown’s 2021 compensation, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link). They are not believed to be eyeing a new contract for Brown — at least, not at this point — but are now aiming to find a creative solution to meet the soon-to-be 36-year-old blocker in the middle. Brown’s deal expires at season’s end; he has long sought an extension at a higher rate, skipping minicamp and training camp in order to land one.

Given Brown’s history, expecting him to back down after the team adjusts some of the Pro Bowl- or participation-based incentives already included in his deal might be optimistic. The accomplished tackle held out well into the 2017 season, when the Texans traded him to the Seahawks, and he has the support of Russell Wilson this time around.

Seattle also did not blink in its most recent staredown, which ended with Adams signing after the team threatened to withdraw its offer. The Seahawks would prefer to have Brown play out his contract year, in order to see how much he has left in his 14th season, before reassessing the situation in 2022. With the tackle market having changed substantially since Brown signed his three-year, $34.5MM extension in 2018, the veteran understandably wants to cash in without going through another prove-it year.

Latest On Seahawks, Duane Brown

August 13th, 2021 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says he wants to get Duane Brown‘s contract situation settled. However, it doesn’t sound like the front office is in any rush. The Seahawks told Brown that they want to keep him beyond 2021, but they want to discuss his next contract after the season (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

That probably won’t sit well with Brown, who is weeks away from his 36th birthday and entering the final year of his deal. He’s set to make $10MM this season – an extremely team-friendly rate given his production. Even when factoring in the past dollars on his deal, Brown’s $11.5MM-per-year average puts him just 16th among left tackles.

Pro Football Focus positioned Brown as the league’s No. 5 tackle last season. At the same time, he’s older than Nos. 1-4. The Seahawks are understandably skittish about committing top-of-the-market money to Brown as he inches towards 40, but they can ill afford a holdout. While they’ve added Gabe Jackson, Brown stands as the team’s most accomplished blocker by a mile.

“[Brown] looks like he’s 28-30 out there,” quarterback Russell Wilson said recently.  “He’s really exceptional. So smart and physical, understands the game, and I think people fear him, to be honest with you, when they’re rushing him and playing against him. So we definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out because we need Duane Brown.”

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