Pharaoh Brown Taking on Diverse Role in Seattle Seahawks 'Exciting' Offense

Sold on his fit in Ryan Grubb's offense during free agency with a more defined role, Pharaoh Brown has been tackling a unique scheme head-first with the Seahawks.

Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown listens to instructions during a drill in Thursday's OTA session at the VMAC. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. - Formerly breaking into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Seattle Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown has bounced around with five different franchises, including spending last year with the New England Patriots and two stints with the Cleveland Browns.

Given his prior experiences with nearly half a dozen teams playing multiple roles as an inline blocker, fullback, and even a slot receiver, Brown has been exposed to numerous playbooks with similar concepts and different terminology. Dating back to his rookie season with the Browns, he has played for several notable offensive minds, including Jon Gruden, Kevin Stefanski, and most recently Bill O'Brien on Bill Belichick's staff in Foxborough.

But as the well-traveled journeyman adapts to his latest surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has somehow thrown new wrinkles at Brown that he hasn't seen before, which has presented unique challenges learning the scheme so far.

"This is like a whole new animal," Brown told reporters following Thursday's OTA practice. "So, we were just talking about with our tight ends, just trying to figure out if it is slowing down yet? Is it going to stop? We keep getting these installs and we keep getting new plays and we trying to go back and perfect the old stuff, but new stuff keeps coming in, so it's kind of fun. You're always on your toes. You don't know what's coming next, so it's been exciting."

If there's been a common theme early on in OTAs with Grubb now at the wheel calling plays for Seattle, his players have reiterated the newness and complexity of the offense. Echoing Brown's comments as a guest on the Jim Rome Show, veteran quarterback Geno Smith recently said Grubb's system features things he has never seen previously as he enters his 12th NFL season.

If Smith had spent most of his career with the same coordinator, such a statement may not be viewed as a big deal. But like Brown, he bounced around with three other teams before signing with the Seahawks back in 2019 and with Grubb now in the fold, he has worked with seven different coordinators in the league, including three in Seattle.

"Coach Grubb, he's come right in, and like coach [Mike] Macdonald, he's laid it out for us. He's set the tone," Smith told Rome. "He's got high expectations. We got high standards. The guy, he's got some plays. I can't wait to get out there and show the world, but not too soon. Not too soon, but when the time is right, we'll be able to unleash this offense."

Orchestrating one of college football's most explosive offenses at Washington over the past two seasons, Grubb's potent attack thrived ambushing opponents with a dynamic passing game featuring recent Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. and a trio of standout receivers in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and JaLynn Polk. All four of those players were selected in April's NFL draft, including Penix and Odunze hearing their names called in the top 10 selections.

But while Grubb's offense drew headlines with an embarrassment of riches at receiver, the Huskies also found success implementing tight ends into their aerial arsenal. Even with three future NFL picks on the outside, Jack Westover, who came with Grubb as an undrafted rookie free agent signing, caught 44 passes and four touchdowns, while Devin Culp also contributed as a pass-catching threat as well as a blocker for standout back Dillon Johnson.

As Brown considered his options for the 2024 season in free agency, following the departures of Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson as well as the arrival of Grubb, he felt a connection with the new staff and loved the role they pitched to him in the recruiting process. Drawing laughs after Thursday's practice, though he's gotten a bit tired of seeing Washington clips as an Oregon alum, he told reporters he went from a "supporting actress to half a trailer" with a bit larger contract coming to Seattle.

“I told them anything I can do, I will do," Brown said. "I have been a fullback, I’ve been a Y tight end catching balls, special teams. I feel like my role changes from game to game. Game plan depending on when we are playing different teams. I think that role is going to be a changing thing for me.”

Tabbed as a replacement for Dissly, Brown has been one of the NFL's best blocking tight ends over the past few seasons, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the ninth best in run blocking last season out of 37 qualified tight ends. Back in 2020 with the Texans, he earned the fifth-best grade in a breakout season, setting the tone up front with his physicality and toughness.

Though he's never been a volume receiver in the league and only has 64 career catches on his resume, Brown also has been effective when utilized in the passing game, demonstrating the ability to win down the seam as well as manufacture yardage with the ball in his hands. Aside from only two career drops, he has averaged north of 10 yards per reception in the NFL, including averaging 16 yards per catch in New England last season.

Whether he's tasked with taking on defensive ends at the line of scrimmage, blocking linebackers out of the backfield as a fullback, or plucking passes from Geno Smith out of the slot, Brown will be ready to do whatever Grubb asks of him as he continues to figure out where he fits in a distinctive offensive scheme. While there's plenty of work left to do, if OTAs have been any indication, he thinks fans should be fired up about the potential of the Seahawks offense to dish out the fireworks next season.