Brandon Browner: NFL Elite Amongst DBs 2011

[Paolo X]

Well now for sure he deserves his own NFL thread too I say.

I was just looking at stats and watching the Monday night game, and there goes Browner with an interception to make five for the season and then also adding to his 20 passes defended BEFORE the game.

Jon Gruden, who took notice of Browner in the preseason and whose attention is not easy to get, basically called for Browner to make the Pro Bowl and he's damn right.

Seriously with whatever else he does for the Seattle defence as well beyond the stats, Browner is up with the elite in the league as a cornerback.

As Gruden implied, how Browner managed to elude NFL scouts with six try-outs with such greatness is baffling. It took Pete Carroll, who had scouted Browner for USC when Browner was in high school, to take notice what a gem he had found.

Other than the famed and top dollar and far more well-known Antonio Cromartie, who only makes the list behind Browner's solid and big SS teammate Kam Chancellor and also gets to play the other side from Darrelle Revis, Browner is the only guy of about that size to play corner and thrive.

Have a look at his elite performance when you examine the DB list sorted by passes defended, which is a more telling stat than merely interceptions or tackles:
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats? ... ified=true

Maybe Browner's size for the corner position is what threw conservative NFL scouts off? Maybe they could not believe a guy who is 6-4 and 221 could play corner instead of lining up at a safety position as would most guys that size if not playing receiver?

And certainly I remember how great it was to watch him in the CFL even dirty as he was accused to be and was at times but the most physical corner that I remember with his 1-yard jams. When you think about it that was as good training as one could have to be in the zone he's in now bumping guys for up to five yards in the NFL.

Previous Posts For Reference:

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viewtopic.php?f=15&t=65873#p1184863

[Billy_Soup]

He got hosed on a PI call in the endzone last night.

[saskfan23]

I'm a Seahawk fan so I'm going to support the heck outta what your saying and what other's are saying about him. He's doing a bang up job and he's bringing some recognition to Canadian football, he's 27 years old and played here for 5 years? They mentioned that on MNF (Monday Night Football) that being said I like what he's doing especially with our 2 other corners (Trufant, Thurmond) going on IR. I accused him of being dirty but seeing him do what he does in the NFL from being a former CFLer makes my day.

[Earl]

I don't get why he was passed over in the NFL if that's indeed what happened, the guy is good.

[Paolo X]

Check it on as sorted by passes defended for NFL DBs, and note also his PD+INT total.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats? ... T_DEFENSED

He's the best there is now at corner in the NFL!

Second place is not that close really, but one could make an argument for the top tandem in Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams though they have the most-talented overall secondary in the league in Green Bay to support them.

Too bad, as I predicted correctly before the season even started, that the Seahawks can't get it together at QB.

They'll be shopping at this QB-rich draft next year though.

There is and never was much of a future in Seattle with T-Jack or Clipboard Jesus.

As for the rest of the team -- wow!

[RedandWhite]

...another INT-Pick6 against Da Bears, only makes him better...seriously, BB's agent is going to have an outstanding case for some contract renegotiations at the end of this season...sad that I'll never see him in a stampeders jersey ever again

[Paolo X]

I say Brandon Browner is the best there is in the NFL such that now scouts are grooming the CFL for others as well as seeking taller and bigger corners out of college. Amongst the national media it seems only Jon Gruden took notice repeatedly in the Monday Night games.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats? ... ified=true

We may see in a way the migration here to a bigger CB prototype akin to what has happened to the scouting of receivers since Michael Irvin and Randy Moss came around to the NFL. I sure would not be surprised given this production, but of course scouts won't overlook the guy with 4.35 or better speed with back pedal skills.

And of course it's not as if there are not smaller guys who can become elite receivers too, but they are few.

And for defensive backs, guys smaller than Browner are the norm and will I think for quite some time remain the norm.

However, all things being equal now, the bigger guy I do not think will be given the automatic stigma ("he's high in his back pedal" and so forth) and switched automatically to safety and so forth.

Pro defences need bigger corners now to match-up with all the prototype tall receivers for all those jump balls thrown up more than ever including especially in the red zone. If the corner is not tall, having an excellent vertical leap and/or longer than normal arms can assist as well.

[Paolo X]

I don't get why he was passed over in the NFL if that's indeed what happened, the guy is good.

In this article we find out that no less than six NFL teams had him try out:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1895 ... -ascending

No one seems to know that Browner was also the NFL leader in pass deflections in 2011.

For all the hot air about the draft and the premium for free agency, five teams have to be kicking themselves hard, or just be plain ignorant, after missing out on Browner and not watching the CFL tape!