Houston Texans Rumors: Team talking to SEA about a Duane Brown swap

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 02: Duane Brown
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 02: Duane Brown /
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The Houston Texans’ clock is ticking on Duane Brown and it seems that there is some rumblings of a possible trade partner with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Houston Texans have been without the veteran left tackle for five weeks of the season, training camp and organized team activities.  Duane Brown has racked up more than $1.5 million in fines, losing roughly $550K per game in his marathon-holdout with the team.

I totally get why Duane Brown is doing this — quite frankly, I think this glorified game of chicken as both sides should come to the table and get a deal hammered out.  It’s clearly obvious that both need each other and we’d be a hell of a lot better with than without.

The Texans’ offensive line is ranked dead-last in pass blocking efficiency as per Pro Football Focus with a score of a 66.1.  The highest possible grade is a 100 and the closest team to that is the Oakland Raiders with a PBE of 87.7.

The OL has allowed 81 pressures — second to only the Arizona Cardinals’ 102 — breaking that down to 60 hurries, eight quarterback hits and 13 sacks through 189 total passing plays.

But as time goes on and reality sets in, there’s little chance of something materializing in the favor of the greater good prevailing.  It’s clearly obvious that the Houston Texans are trying to trade him because it would not make sense to have a valuable asset that’s slowly depreciating on the shelf for reasons beyond control.

This is the first I’ve heard of some substantiated Duane Brown trade talk but Benjamin Allbright reported yesterday that the Seattle Seahawks worked out offensive tackle Branden Albert and used a peculiar comparison to Brown:

Again, I’m not sure if the tone of Allbright’s tweet is more of speculation or if he actually knows that something is going down behind closed doors.  If there is something, he’d be valuable asset to a floundering offensive line, one of the league’s worst, right next to ours.

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What should we get for him if a potential deal were to go down?  Brown has the value to command at least a 3rd or 4th-round pick and the Seahawks have both of those for 2018.  With them already giving up their 2nd to the Jets in the Sheldon Richardson deal, I’d imagine they want to hold on to those.  But Brown would make an immediate impact to anyplace he goes and Seattle is none the exception.

But as the trade deadline of Oct. 31 nears, there will be substantial information thrown around because it’s clear that Brown isn’t going to get to return with this team whether we like it or not.

Next: THREE reasons to trade Tom Savage now

Brown signed a six-year, $53 million deal with $22.1 million guaranteed just slightly ahead of the 2012 season and has two years left.  All of his guaranteed money has been paid out and is scheduled to make $9.4 million this season and $9.75 million in 2018.

How will this incredibly-twisted saga will play out?  We’re about to find out.

Go Texans.