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.
Literally any starting caliber left tackle would be a good idea, yes.