Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle Seahawks‘ cornerback Brandon Browner is one of the better players at his position in the NFL. It’s not often that you can be one of the best at what you do and still fly under the radar. However, such is the life for Browner.
Browner signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2005 and spent the season on injured reserve after fracturing his left forearm during the preseason schedule. He was waived almost a year later.
Browner then spend the next four years playing in the CFL. He became a star, yet people back in the States still didn’t know who he was because Canadian football isn’t followed by the average fan.
After spending an impressive career north of the border, Browner signed with the Seahawks as a, not very sought after, free agent prior to the 2011 season. He was not expected to become a free agent until after the 2014 season, but recently it has become known (or at least publicly known) that Browner gets credit for his 2005 season with respect to being on injured reserve. When you add that year to the two he has already played with the Seahawks, the math becomes clear that the 2013 season will be his fourth year in the NFL and he’ll be a free agent at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
While Browner is a fine football player, you can also say that he’s the least important member of the four starting defensive backs for the Seahawks moving forward and there is only so much a team can pay a unit like that with the salary cap in place.
The Seahawks recently locked up strong safety Kam Chancellor well into the future. Free safety Earl Thomas is too important to eventually let go, and having just turned 24 years of age he has his best football ahead of him. Then there’s shut down corner Richard Sherman who is arguably the best cornerback in the league. While the team could decide to also pay Browner or another cornerback, it’s also not likely.
In all probability Browner is about to play his final season in Seattle. Let’s hope it’s another good one.
