Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Brandon Shell

Signed as a replacement for Germain Ifedi, Shell surpassed all outside expectations with the best season of his NFL career to this point. Will he be able to replicate his success in pass protection and play himself into a second contract with the Seahawks?

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 12, 2021

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Brandon Shell, Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 324 pounds

2020 Stats: Three sacks allowed in 11 starts

Seeking out a replacement for four-year starter Germain Ifedi, the Seahawks took a flier on Shell, who had started 40 games during his first four NFL seasons with the Jets, signing the ex-South Carolina standout to a two-year deal. While some fans questioned the move for a player who had fallen out of favor in New York due to inconsistent play, in terms of value, Shell may have been Seattle's best free agent addition a year ago. Out of 58 qualified tackles with 600 or more snaps, he finished 16th overall on Pro Football Focus with a 79.4 pass protection grade and allowed just five quarterback hits and three sacks at right tackle. He also proved to be far more disciplined than the Ifedi, receiving just four penalties during the season. A high ankle sprain cost Shell five games late in the regular season and he was hobbled during the team's wild card loss to the Rams, but kudos to general manager John Schneider for finding an upgrade at right tackle without breaking the bank.

Best Case Scenario: Avoiding a late season injury this time around, Shell plays at a borderline Pro Bowl level at right tackle protecting Russell Wilson and makes marked improvements as a run blocker, playing his way into a new multi-year contract extension in Seattle.

Worst Case Scenario: Unable to build off of momentum from 2020, Shell surprisingly gets pushed for playing time during training camp by veteran Cedric Ogbuehi and rookie Stone Forsythe, eventually losing his starting job during the regular season.

What to Expect in 2021: Earlier in the offseason, coach Pete Carroll hinted Shell would have to compete to retain his starting job against Ogbuehi, who played very well as an injury replacement in three starts last December. The organization also holds Forsythe in high regard and right tackle presents the quickest path to him seeing the field, so that situation could be worth monitoring at some point. But given how well Shell played a year ago, particularly in pass protection, it would be a huge surprise if he wasn't the Week 1 starter in Indianapolis and maintained his job throughout the season. Entering the final year of his contract, the 29-year old veteran should be motivated to perform at a high level as he did a year ago with hopes of earning a new contract in Seattle or cashing in during free agency as one of the top tackles on the market next March.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Published Jul 12, 2021

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.