Ranking Seahawks top-four free agents in order of who must be re-signed
By Lee Vowell
Number 4: Duane Brown
Seattle needs to revamp its offensive line for 2022. It would be one thing if all of the Seahawks offensive linemen were already under contract for next year but three-fifths of the line isn’t. The only offensive linemen under contract currently are the guards, Damien Lewis and Gabe Jackson. Seattle needs an upgrade at center even if Ethan Pocic is re-signed.
But tackles are extremely important in the NFL, obviously. Their job is to run block, sure, but they have to keep edge rushers away from their quarterbacks and for the most part Duane Brown has done this with the Seahawks.
Brown wasn’t great the first half of 2021 and allowed 7 sacks in 9 games. But in the last 8 games of this past year, Brown allowed just 1 sack. He will be 37 years old in Week 1 of next year but as Andrew Whitworth of the Rams showed this season a talented tackle can be good until the age of 40. Brown could do this.
But to expect Brown to be good for three more years might be too much. That said, Seattle needs Brown to come back for 2022 because the Seahawks don’t have a replacement for Brown. Not in 2022 and probably not in 2023. Seattle could find a replacement for Pocic and right tackle Brandon Shell but they can’t for Brown. Not yet.