Brandon Browner will likely be suspended at start of season
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle Seahawks impending free agent cornerback Brandon Browner is a solid option as a No. 2 corner, particularly for teams looking to sign a big corner. But even though Browner was officially reinstated yesterday and won’t be under a suspension while on the free agent market, he’s still expected to serve a suspension at the beginning of the 2014 season.
Per league sources close to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks former starting cornerback will likely be suspended “for some length of time” to open the regular season, but it looks like his threats to sue the NFL helped lead to the reinstatement from the year-long suspension. This allows Browner to have a better chance of signing somewhere this offseason, and that “somewhere” isn’t going to be the Seattle Seahawks.
Even though he’s heading into the free agent market with an impending suspension over his head, the 29-year-old Oregon State product should still find himself a suitable offer. The cornerback market will be crowded even with a few players taken off of the board, so Browner’s situation is one to watch for closely. But if a team doesn’t want to pay premium to make a quality upgrade at the position (or wants to sign a top-level CB and Browner, which is something the Minnesota Vikings could pursue), then Browner is a pretty strong option.