OT Duane Brown Visiting Jets

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.

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