Brandon Browner’s final moments with the New England Patriots aren’t very positive ones for Seattle Seahawks fans.
Browner jammed Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XLIX, preventing fellow cornerback Malcolm Butler from getting picked. Butler then had a clear path to jump Ricardo Lockette’s route and intercept Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, clinching a Patriots Super Bowl win and a Seattle loss. Browner’s year with the Patriots could pay off in the long run for the Seahawks, however.
Browner was almost exclusively used as a boundary cornerback in his first three seasons in the NFL, all of which came with the Seahawks. He would match up against wide receivers, usually in a Cover-1 or -3 scheme. The Patriots mostly used Browner at cornerback during his one season in New England, but they also would occasionally match him up in linebacker/safety hybrid role against tight ends. The Seahawks have moved Browner to safety in his return to Seattle this season, and they were influenced by the Patriots.
“He’s a guy who draws the best out of people around him,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said, via ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia. “Guys feed off his energy because he’s so tough. And then his willingness to go ahead and learn a new spot. He was wide open to it. I had the chance to see him play in positions like he’s being asked to play now when he was in New England, and we saw some really good things we thought we could mix into our stuff, and he’s very much looked the part. But I really think it’s about him; we like the guy so much.”
It’s a bit of a mystery why Browner wasn’t used in similar circumstances earlier in his career. At 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, Browner is an ideal matchup against bigger receivers and tight ends. He’s struggled with penalties throughout his career by being overly physical with smaller receivers. It’s possible a move to safety while matching up against more physical players could curb his infractions.
“Being on the outside, it’s more of a man-to-man concept: You’re a corner on an island,” Browner said, via Kapadia. “Being in that box, you’re accounted for from the linemen in the run. You’ll get some run keys from the end man on the line of scrimmage. Things are just a little different. But you’re a football player in there. Playing corner, it’s more of a one-on-one thing. We’re playing basketball out there on that island. When you’re in that box, that’s football, I think.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
