In case you missed the news, the Oakland Raiders have agreed to terms with former Patriots’ offensive tackle Trent Brown. Brown was traded from the 49ers to the Patriots last offseason, and he went on to start all 16 games for the team at left tackle.
Brown was arguably the best tackle on the market, and the Raiders decided to scoop him up before anyone else could match their offer. However, did they overpay? According to Adam Schefter, Brown is now the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. But his grades from Pro Football Focus don’t seem to match his salary:
According to the site, Brown played 1,341 snaps last season (including playoffs) and surrendered just three sacks and 39 total pressures. But despite the limited sacks allowed, Brown finished as just the 32nd-ranked tackle in the NFL as he struggled as a run-blocker.
However, Brown got better as the season went along, allowing zero sacks in the Patriots’ three post-season games. At just the age of 25, the hope is that Brown is still an ascending player who will only get better with experience.
Brown hasn’t been an elite tackle in his career, but he has been reliable, as of late. For Oakland, they just need a reliable option as both of their tackles struggled last season. The Raiders probably overpaid for Brown, but they have to find a way to protect their quarterback. As long as Brown is an upgraded at tackle, Raiders won’t regret this signing.
