Just a few days after he battled in the trenches against the Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown will fly back to Seattle and join the team he just faced. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday evening that the Seahawks struck a deal with the Texans, landing the veteran left tackle in advance of Tuesday's NFL Trade Deadline.
Brown, who made his 2017 debut against Seattle, leaves Houston able to put a lot of frustration behind him. He missed Houston's first six games due to a contract holdout where Houston never seemed interested in meeting his contract demands. Then less than 48 hours before his return to the field, Texans' owner Robert McNair's comments during an owners-players meeting in which he said the NFL couldn't let "prisons run the prison". The statement drew expected outrage and controversy, with Brown one of the more vocal players to express his issues toward McNair's comments.
For Seattle, Brown provides a significant boost for its offensive line. After Seattle lost left tackle George Fant early in the preseason, the position quickly became the biggest weak link on the entire offense with Rees Odhiambo manning the spot. Brown will slide in immediately at left tackle and help improve both Seattle's pass and run protection. It is great news for Russell Wilson, who turned in an MVP performance on Sunday all while he faced constant pressure from a depleted Texans' front seven.
Brown will likely continue to seek a contract extension, but should feel happier in Seattle. Brown is owed under $5 million through 2017 and has another year left on his contract at $9.75 million for the 2018 season.
As for Houston, this move allows the team to free a disgruntled player from the team and clears up some cap space. In exchange, Houston receives cornerback Jeremy Lane from the Seahawks, according to Adam Schefter.
Lane is a 27-year-old cornerback who began the season as one of Seattle's starting cornerbacks, but saw his snaps decline with the emergence of Justin Coleman and Shaquill Griffin. He should provide significant depth to a Texans' secondary that has seen Kevin Johnson miss significant time with an MCL sprain.
More importantly, Houston will receive Seattle's 2019 second-round pick and a 2018 fifth-round selection. It works as a solid return for Houston given its plans for the future likely didn't include Brown.
Houston recently cut offensive tackle Kendall Lamm, who filled in at left tackle during Brown's holdout, when they activated Brown back onto the roster earlier this week.