Browners back

[Anthony]

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n8f7qo

https://twitter.com/bbrowner27

"I received wonderful news today. The NFL has reinstated me, and I now have
the opportunity to prove to the fans and my teammates how important this
sport is to me. I realize now more than ever that being part of the NFL is
not a right, but a privilege. I am grateful that Commissioner Goodell and
my agent were able to resolve this issue in a positive, productive manner so
I can continue my career, provide for my family, and help my team win a
Super Bowl. Thank you to all who have gone out of their way to show their
support. I will live up to your expectations of me. "

not sure if this is true or not

[Vegaseahawk]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/04/nfl-reinstates-brandon-browner/

[jshawaii22]

He's a free agent, he can negotiate with anyone. He also may still end up serving a suspension imposed by the league as part of the settlement.

Maybe they will give some information out, now that (I assume) the threat of the lawsuit is over.

js

[HumanCockroach]

He's a free agent, he can negotiate with anyone. He also may still end up serving a suspension imposed by the league as part of the settlement.

Maybe they will give some information out, now that (I assume) the threat of the lawsuit is over.

js

Seriously doubt he serves a suspension of any kind, as they already offered to suspend him for I think 6 games last season and he refused it. Plus his big thing was being able to be a FA that could pull a large offer, which he won't be able to, should he be suspended for the beginning of the year.... It is after all, why he was threatening legal action.

[Anthony]

He's a free agent, he can negotiate with anyone. He also may still end up serving a suspension imposed by the league as part of the settlement.

Maybe they will give some information out, now that (I assume) the threat of the lawsuit is over.

js

Seriously doubt he serves a suspension of any kind, as they already offered to suspend him for I think 6 games last season and he refused it. Plus his big thing was being able to be a FA that could pull a large offer, which he won't be able to, should he be suspended for the beginning of the year.... It is after all, why he was threatening legal action.

Not sure how big an offer he will get now anyway, given how easy it was to replace him and not miss a beat some might think nit was more of the system or the over whelming talent around him

[Distant Relative]

Back in the NFL but not as a Hawk. Browner was given a chance by the Hawks and then he slapped them in the face by failing drug tests.

I really hope the Hawks let him walk as his production has diminished and he lost a step. There are a few good free agents available this year that I'd rather see in a Hawks uni. Heck I'd even rather have a late round pick replace him.

BB is not going to get big money IMO. If he does it will be a lower tier team desperate for help at the position.

The Hawks don't need the drama that this guy is providing.

[savvyman]

Great News!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/seahawks/2014/03/04/brandon-browner-seattle-reinstated-substance-abuse-free-agent/6039557/

Don't be surprised if he ends up back with the Hawks.

LOB

[RiverDog]

Glad he's back even if it isn't with us. His situation did sound rather bizarre.

[Distant Relative]

Great News!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/seahawks/2014/03/04/brandon-browner-seattle-reinstated-substance-abuse-free-agent/6039557/

Don't be surprised if he ends up back with the Hawks.

LOB

I would be surprised! Nothing in the above article even suggests that he may be back as a Hawk. Two failed drug tests for pot and putting his NFL career in jeopardy not to mention the black eye for the organization in which he plays.

Time for the Hawks to make a statement regarding crap like this.

[Eaglehawk]

I wish him the best. I am sure the Jags may snag him for a reasonable price or even the Pats.
Should be interesting to see Browner go up against his old team mates.

This tells me the NFL knew it was wrong all along.

[EntiatHawk]

I am glad he can still play. Him and Kam made a nice pair of deathbackers. I wish him great success. I would not mind if he made his way back to Hawkville.

[monkey]

Not sure how big an offer he will get now anyway, given how easy it was to replace him and not miss a beat some might think nit was more of the system or the over whelming talent around him

Normally I would agree with you, after all he was easily replaced, but let's not forget that the guy who he was replaced by, (Maxwell*) is someone who was drafted in part, precisely because he is a lot like Browner, Sherman and Thurmond physically. In other words, he fits what we do here.
But for any team looking at possibly trying to emulate Seattle, and get bigger at corner Browner's free agency gives them the chance to try it. Personally I think there will be some takers too.
If Browner's contract doesn't end up being as big as he would have liked, it won't be because of how easily replaced he was by Maxwell, it's be because of the fact that he kept getting popped on urinalysis, plain and simple.

*I actually think that Maxwell is the better overall corner, certainly the better pure cover corner. So Maxwell's ability to just step right in and replace Browner isn't a knock on Browner, it's just evidence of how good Maxwell and Seattle's secondary as a whole really is.
**I can't help but wonder if he won't be cheap enough now, that Seattle may bring him back on a prove it type of deal. I certainly wouldn't be opposed, you can never have too much solid depth. I doubt it though, I think he ends up elsewhere with a bigger contract than any of us would expect given the trouble he's had.

[Zorn76]

I wish Browner well, but at 29 I don't anticipate him getting the deal that he's hoping for, and I think the Seahawks should look elsewhere for additional depth at the position.

[Eaglehawk]

I wish Browner well, but at 29 I don't anticipate him getting the deal that he's hoping for, and I think the Seahawks should look elsewhere for additional depth at the position.

Then look at Champ Bailey. He seems to be doing okay. And has lost a step as well. How old is Champ?

[jshawaii22]

Browner > Champ... but I wouldn't want either of them on our team at this point.

js

[c_hawkbob]

Never a doubt!

And I absolutely want BB back! He's a founding member of the LOB and always goes 100%, 100% of the time!



But whether we bring him back or not he's going to be a hot commodity; haven't you heard? the Seahawks secondary is the new template for how to win in the modern NFL! Somebody is going to try to catch a little of that magic by making Brandon a rich man.

[NorthHawk]

Gus in Jax might be interested to set the tone and help develop the style of play he had the DBs play in Seattle.
One less DB to teach in the secondary and a vet who can help the others learn what is expected.

Kudos to Kris Richard who has done a great job developing the depth in our secondary. He doesn't get enough credit for their success.

[Oly]

I'd love BB back at something close to the vet minimum, but I'm sure he'll get more elsewhere. How best to copy the best than to sign their best players?

I wish him all the luck in the world. The guy paid his dues and fought through the ranks just to get shat on by the "brain trust" at NFL headquarters who were more concerned about marketing themselves as good morally upstanding entertainment than they were about doing right by one of their employees. I can't help but feel bad for him. After all that work, he gets shut out of playing in the dream game that every boy in America dreams of playing in, gets shut out from a big FA contract, and now has to swallow the league's tacit admission that they were wrong.

He deserves more, but not from a team that is going to have a ton of money tied up in its defensive backfield.

[NorthHawk]

PFT is saying he might still have to serve some type of suspension into this year.
If so, maybe his innocence or legal position isn't as clear cut as we think.

[burrrton]

That gif is beautiful, Bob- *three* guys blown up.

I wouldn't mind BB back, but yeah, it's pretty tough to see us willing to outbid anyone for him with the way Maxwell was up in everyone's grill all season.

[THX-1138]

Never a doubt!

And I absolutely want BB back! He's a founding member of the LOB and always goes 100%, 100% of the time!



But whether we bring him back or not he's going to be a hot commodity; haven't you heard? the Seahawks secondary is the new template for how to win in the modern NFL! Somebody is going to try to catch a little of that magic by making Brandon a rich man.

Lordy, would you look at that! That is what BB brought. Would I mind if the Hawks figured out a way to have him on the team and make it work? Not a bit. His coverage skills aren't what the rest of the secondary's are but at 29 I bet he can still lay the wood like in that GIF.

[NorthHawk]

Browner gets an additional 4 game suspension this year before he can play.
He can be in TC and Pre-Season games, but not play in the Regular season until after the 4 game suspension.

[Zorn76]

I wish Browner well, but at 29 I don't anticipate him getting the deal that he's hoping for, and I think the Seahawks should look elsewhere for additional depth at the position.

Then look at Champ Bailey. He seems to be doing okay. And has lost a step as well. How old is Champ?

Regardless, the Seahawks needs to remain proactive in their building for the future, and you do that through the draft. We have the front office that can pull it off, even in later rounds. The team didn't miss a beat with Browner's absence to begin with, so he isn't going into this situation with a lot of leverage, anyway. In that context, it looks as though Seattle could sign him relatively cheap, which would be fine, because it also would likely involve a time frame of only 2-3 yrs.

But the bigger picture remains - we should get younger at the position in the long run, and the team survives fine if he signs elsewhere.

[HumanCockroach]

I wish Browner well, but at 29 I don't anticipate him getting the deal that he's hoping for, and I think the Seahawks should look elsewhere for additional depth at the position.

Then look at Champ Bailey. He seems to be doing okay. And has lost a step as well. How old is Champ?

Sorry man, Browner has never had the speed or footwork to even be discussed in the same league as Champ ( and that isn't a knock on Browner). BB has a "unique" skill set, but he has never been a polished corner, and at this point never will be. It doesn't mean he can't be effective for the next 3-5 years, but thinking an already "slow" ( in regards to normal DB speed) can afford to lose even more and be effective just isn't realistic. He already has problems with speedy small receivers, now take 2/10ths of a second off his speed, not a combo for success.

Champ WAS the sh*t, but that was is in the past tense, he was exposed this year every time he was on the field, honestly Champ either needs to move to safety or retire at this point before he further damages his legacy.

[Eaglehawk]

Yes, HC. Agreed CBailey is miles ahead of Browner, for sure. But Browner was part of LOB, and after being benched by PC, came back with a little pep in his step. But for sure the dude is no Champ Bailey.

Thinking out loud.

[NorthHawk]

Bailey and Browner are two completely different types of CBs.
Pete asks his CBs to be far more physical than Bailey has ever played. I think he has or had the skill to do well in any system, but the physical nature of the Seahawks Defense required in the early stages a big CB to set the direction of the Hawks D.

Browner was key in the progression of our Defense to where it is today. Now their reputation precedes them to a degree, and DBs that will come through our system will develop the attitude and techniques we require or they will be gone. If Bailey was the CB instead of Browner when Pete arrived, we might be watching a different attitude on Defense today.

[Seahawks4Ever]

One thing that I didn't miss after BB was out was the 1 or 2 P-I calls that he would pick up each and every game, usually for big yardage too. Opposing teams knew they just had to throw it up and if their receiver got behind BB that he would reach out and grab and pick up the foul. Losing BB just very well was a blessing in disguise because Maxwell came in and the LOB didn't miss a beat.

BB will now have to sit out the first 4 games of next season, but first he will have to sign with a team. I don't know of too many teams that will want to sign a 30+ year old CB FA who is a P-I magnet and who will also have to sit out the first 4 games next year. BB when he announced that he had been reinstated acted as if him and his agent had "beaten" the NFL. he did no such thing, in fact, the NFL could very well have stuck a dagger in to Browners' career and killed it. The only team that might pick him up could be the Jaguars because of Gus Bradleys familiarity with BB. But any other team would have to be desperate to sign BB under the conditions the NFL laid out. Oh, and BB and his agent will have to accept something like the league minimum just to get him back playing. They have no bargaining power at all. BB is still screwed and his playing career barely on life support.

[NorthHawk]

I think that's a bit of an overstatement, but his style of play isn't for every team.
Now that teams know he will miss only 4 games, they can take a chance on him.
The issue is which teams will be trying to copy Seattle's Defense? If we know that then we could have better guesses for a possible destination.

[HumanCockroach]

It surprises me that this is the route his agent and Browner went. The league offered to reduce his suspension LAST year prior to the appeal to 8 games, had he simply accepted it, he would have only faced a 1 game suspension coming into this year ( the league offered an 8 game suspension with 4 remaining in regular season). Not sure what he gained, my only guess is that it took him out of the stage 3 program... it will be interesting to see what, if any info comes out.

[Distant Relative]

Browner gets an additional 4 game suspension this year before he can play.
He can be in TC and Pre-Season games, but not play in the Regular season until after the 4 game suspension.

That's not going to help him with his next contract.

[Rev-it-up!]

I'd absolutely HATE seeing him in a niner uniform. You can bet they'd pick him up.

[jshawaii22]

I'd absolutely HATE seeing him in a niner uniform. You can bet they'd pick him up.

Why would they do that? He's been busted for PED's and Pot twice... that just doesn't fit in with Uncle Jim's anti-PED rant earlier.

I don't see it. Say hello to Jacksonville...

js

[RiverDog]

It surprises me that this is the route his agent and Browner went. The league offered to reduce his suspension LAST year prior to the appeal to 8 games, had he simply accepted it, he would have only faced a 1 game suspension coming into this year ( the league offered an 8 game suspension with 4 remaining in regular season). Not sure what he gained, my only guess is that it took him out of the stage 3 program... it will be interesting to see what, if any info comes out.

That's a pretty good point. My guess would be that Browner was anxious to get this put behind him. If he didn't accept this deal, he would have remained suspended indefinitely until at least after the lawsuit, which would have taken him out of the free agency market this season and allowed teams to fill their needs through other available free agents and the draft with him still on suspension. Who knows how long it would have taken to come to a verdict if he took this to court. This gives him a better chance of hooking up with a team this season. Time is an extremely important commodity to an NFL player.

This was a pretty good decision for the league, too, as they still come out as looking tough by suspending Browner for the last 5 games of this season and the first 4 of 2014 and they don't have to run the risk of a huge embarrassment if they lost in court. It might cause them to revisit how they handle former players.

I don't think either side wanted this to get to court.

[NorthHawk]

Browner gets an additional 4 game suspension this year before he can play.
He can be in TC and Pre-Season games, but not play in the Regular season until after the 4 game suspension.

That's not going to help him with his next contract.

I don't think it's as bad as it appears.
Teams are able to carry one extra player for the first month and since he had all TC and Pre-season to get comfortable, teams might just want to take a chance on him.
I agree though it might hit his salary hopes.