Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has long been a proponent of cornerbacks playing a physical bump-and-run style, and when he considers what the New England Patriots now have with Brandon Browner, it’s his ability to be effective in that area that stands out most.
“That’s when he’s at his best, on the line of scrimmage," Carroll said Wednesday at the NFC coaches breakfast. “He’s built for that. He’s so long, so big and so aggressive."
With this in mind, count Carroll among those intrigued as to Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s defensive plans with Browner (6-4, 221) and fellow cornerback Darrelle Revis (5-11, 198).
“It’s going to be really fun to watch those guys play together. I’m anxious to see how they use them, how they do it,” Carroll said. “Bill’s a great football coach and he’ll figure out how to use those guys. Look forward to watching it.”
Carroll expounded more on Browner as a collection of New England reporters gathered at this table.
“He’s a fantastic football player, a great competitor. He has a great depth of understanding of the position,” he said. “He’s played bump-and-run press technique since he was a freshman in college, back at Oregon State. We played against him back in the day. He was only there a couple of years because he left early. He was a fantastic player in college, went to Canada and was a fantastic player in Canada. By the time we got him, he was so savvy in playing the position, and I think he really blossomed, again took another step forward just with our commitment to the style of play and all.
“I talked to Bill about it, and I’m kind of envious. He’s a great baller. He’s going to get a really special guy in Brandon.”
