The Seattle Seahawks have endured issues along the offensive line for years, but this week's high-profile trade for Duane Brown is already making a difference.
Coach Pete Carroll glowed over what the reliable left tackle showed Wednesday during his first practice in Seattle after being shipped west by the Texans for a handful of draft picks.
"He just ran about 50 plays and he didn't have even a glitch in any part of it. That's pretty remarkable," Carroll said, per the team's official website. "... I'm counting on an immediate impact."
Said offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell: "He looked great out there. Just being able to step in and just be able to flow with the offense today was really impressive."
After a nasty holdout with the Texans, Brown sounded like an equal beneficiary of the swap, making it clear that Seattle was a dream landing spot for the 32-year-old bookend.
"It's like a real, real brotherhood here, they have a lot of fun, win a lot of games, and on the outside looking in, I saw that and I loved it," Brown said. "To be here and be a part of it now, there's no doubt in my mind that I would want to be here the rest of my career."
Some of these trades look great on paper, only to materialize as gaudy busts by season's end. Not this time around for Brown and the 'Hawks, who loom as a fitting match in the NFC West.