RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks solidified a big area of concern by reaching agreement to acquire veteran left tackle Duane Brown from the Houston Texans on Monday for cornerback Jeremy Lane and two draft picks.
Seattle general manager John Schneider confirmed the sides reached agreement on the deal, but it had not been fully finalized yet. The agreement happened a day before the NFL trading deadline.
“He’s got great hands. He’s got really good instincts. He’s just a mountain of a man,” Schneider said.
Brown made his season debut for the Texans on Sunday against the Seahawks after a lengthy holdout in search of a new contract. He was also at the center of the Texans’ decision where the majority of the active roster knelt during the national anthem in protest of comments made by Houston owner Bob McNair. Brown played 68 of 71 snaps for the Texans in Sunday’s 41-38 loss to Seattle.
Brown is an immediate upgrade for Seattle. The 32-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a former All-Pro. The Seahawks have used backup Rees Odhiambo at left tackle after George Fant was lost for the season to a major knee injury suffered in the preseason and Odhiambo has looked overmatched at times through the first seven games.
“We’ve been talking to them on and off since right after George was injured trying to get a lay of the land,” Schneider said. “Rick Smith, their general manager, and I have a good relationship and we kept talking and texting and ended up coming to fruition.”
Brown, 32, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a former All-Pro. He’s played his entire career with the Texans.
Offensive line has clearly been an issue for Seattle all season. After stepping in last season unexpectedly to become a starter, Fant was supposed to solidify the left side of Seattle’s offensive line going into this season.
Instead, the entire plan was thrown into flux when Fant was injured in the second preseason game against Minnesota. Adding to Seattle’s recent issues up front was left guard Luke Joeckel undergoing knee surgery. Carroll said Monday that Joeckel will likely be out another four weeks, leaving rookie Ethan Pocic to hold down the spot.
Along with Lane, who had been benched in favor of rookie Shaquill Griffin and nickel cornerback Justin Coleman, Seattle is reportedly sending a fifth-round pick in 2018 and a second-round pick in 2019 to the Texans.
The entire deal has not been finalized and probably won’t be for at least another day, in part because of the salary cap. The Seahawks had just $1.4 million in cap space available and while trading Lane freed up $2 million, that still is not enough to cover Brown’s expected $4.9 million he is due for the rest of this season. Seattle can gain cap space by signing Brown to an extension and shifting around his base salary, or restructuring the deal of another player.
Brown’s current contract runs through the 2018 season.
“I would say because we acquired Duane we want him to finish his career here and have him be here for several more years,” Schneider said.
It’s the second time this season Seattle has made a major deal to fill a spot due to injuries. Seattle sent its second-round pick in 2018 along with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to the New York Jets on Sept. 1 to get defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. The move with Richardson was needed after rookie second-round pick Malik McDowell was injured in an offseason ATV accident.
Lane entered the season as the presumptive starter opposite Richard Sherman. But Lane has been slowed by nagging injuries and was bypassed by Griffin as the starter and Coleman as Seattle’s fifth defensive back. Lane has spent his entire career with the Seahawks after being a sixth-round pick in 2012.
With the trade of Lane, the Seahawks have just 12 players on their roster — including the physically unable to perform list and injured reserve — remaining from the Super Bowl-winning squad in 2013.
