Getty The Seahawks could emerge as a possible suitor for cornerback Anthony Brown.
The Seattle Seahawks could emerge as a viable suitor for a notable Dallas Cowboys starter.
According to Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown could be a “surprising” cut prior to the start of the 2022 season. Brown started all 16 games he appeared in for the Cowboys last season and has played a key role on the defense since he was drafted back in 2016. Moton notes how the Seahawks have an unstable duo of starting cornerbacks with Sidney Jones IV being an injury-prone player and the 24-year-old Brown having played in just five games to go along with three starts.
“Coming off a strong 2021 season, Brown should have multiple suitors,” says Moton. “He could start Week 1 for the Seattle Seahawks over unproven cornerback Tre Brown or become an insurance policy for Sidney Jones IV, who has missed 34 games through five seasons.”
Moton attributes the possibility of 2021 second-round pick Kelvin Joseph emerging as a possible starter as a reason the Cowboys could move on from Brown. Dallas could save $5 million in cap space by cutting the 28-year-old Brown.
“In the meantime, Joseph will likely have a chance to carve out a starting role because of his draft pedigree,” says Moton. “If he impresses the coaching staff, the Cowboys could move on from Anthony Brown, who played a majority of the snaps out wide in 2021.
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Why Cowboys CB Could Fit With Seahawks
Last season, Brown had his most productive pro campaign, logging career highs in pass breakups (17) and interceptions (three) while allowing a 53.3 percent completion rate in coverage. With that said, the Cowboys can release him, save $5 million in cap space and go with a younger defender who has more upside.”
The Seahawks struggled drastically in pass coverage last season, ranking second-to-last in passing yards allowed. Even head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged the Seahawks’ struggles on the defensive side of the ball back in March at the NFL combine.
Via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times:
“We’ve been a little bit arrogant over the years the way we play defense because we’ve been able to do it,” Carroll said. “Just go ahead and play what we want to play. It’s not that time right now. It’s time to keep moving and keep growing. And we’ve played the running game so well. I mean, we (gave up) 3.8 (yards) a carry for the season — that’s pretty darn good in this league (second in the NFL). And maybe that’s not the only thing we need to do.”
Seahawks’ Current CB’s Have Major Question Marks
Adding a cornerback the caliber of Brown could improve one of the weakest areas of Seattle’s roster. According to Pro Football Focus, Brown posted a 66.0 defensive grade last season, ranking 40th among 116 qualifying corners.
Seattle’s two corners, Sidney Jones (70.2 defensive grade) and Brown (61.1 defensive grade) also posted decent grades. However, Jones has missed games during every season of his five-year career, with the 2021 season being his healthiest (16 appearances). The 26-year-old Jones has dealt with serious ailments during his young career, including hamstring and Achilles ailments.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ Brown dealt with a knee injury that severely shortened his rookie season.
Over the course of his six seasons in the league, Anthony has started 57 of his 82 appearances and outside of his 2020 campaign, he’s never registered lower than a 60.5 defensive grade in a single season.
Obviously, Brown would have to become available in the open market for such an acquisition to happen in the first place. But the veteran cornerback could be a perfect fit for a Seahawks defensive backfield with major question marks entering the 2022 season.