Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Can Pharaoh Brown Fill Veteran Void at TE?

Renowned for his blocking ability, the Seahawks will be counting on Pharaoh Brown to have an impact that goes beyond the box score.

Corbin K. Smith | Jun 30, 2024

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

In this story:

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Joining his fifth NFL team in an overhauled tight end group, what will Pharoah Brown bring to the Seahawks offense?

Background

After a stellar college career at Oregon, Brown went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft before signing with the Raiders, spending most of his first season in the league on the practice squad. He latched on with the Browns in 2018 after being cut by the Raiders in training camp, but did not play in any games for the franchise until 2019, when he caught two passes for 27 yards in nine games. He enjoyed a breakout season with the Texans in 2021, catching a career-best 23 passes in 15 games. Continuing to bounce around, he returned to the Browns midway through the 2022 season and then signed with the Patriots, contributing 13 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown last season. Heading back to the Pacific Northwest, he signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks in March.

Scheme Fit

At 6-6, 246 pounds, Brown offers quite a bit of positional flexibility, including logging nearly 1,500 career snaps as an inline Y-tight end where he has thrived as a physical blocker. But the Seahawks should be able to move him around some in different formations in Ryan Grubb's scheme, as he has prior experience dropping back into the backfield as a fullback as well as running routes from the slot and out wide.

Best Case Scenario

Seamlessly meshing with Grubb's offense as the second tight end behind Noah Fant, Brown's toughness and run blocking acumen help open up creases for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet as he capably fills Will Dissly's role, while he turns 14 catches into a pair of touchdowns and averages north of 15 yards per catch.

Worst Case Scenario

Though Brown maintains his roster spot out of camp due to his experience and veteran leadership, he quickly begins to lose snaps to rookie AJ Barner, who offers a similar skill set with more upside as a receiver and runner, ultimately relegating him to mostly special teams duties by the middle of the season.

What to Expect in 2024

Though he isn't flashy and hasn't been a consistent contributor in the passing game in his NFL career, Brown has a lengthy track record of excelling handling the dirty work as an inline blocker in the run game and occasionally can surprise with a big reception down the seam. After losing Dissly and Colby Parkinson in the offseason, he offers a mix of traits that compare favorably to those two players, which should allow him to settle in as Seattle's No. 2 tight end.

Statistically, Brown will have a tough time equaling his receiving numbers from his lone season in New England due to the likelihood of limited targets in an offense featuring DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Fant. But his value will be greater than box scores suggest, and as long as he can continue to block at an effective level with a few catches sprinkled in and contributions on special teams, he should be a worthwhile addition on a one-year contract even if Barner eventually overtakes him for offensive snaps down the road.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Published Jun 24, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 2024

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.