Levi Brown steps up over second half of season

Levi Brown has been a proverbial punching bag for fans
since
being drafted No. 5 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Ken Whisenhunt’s first pick as a head coach, Brown has
been
mediocre — at best — as both a right and left tackle.

The 27-year-old has been a mainstay on the line for the
last
five years, though, and is sure to hit the free agent
market soon, as the Cardinals are not likely to pick up
his option year.

Should the Cardinals bring him back?

Most fans would answer that question with a resounding
“no,”
citing the player’s inability to protect the quarterback
or
avoid penalties. In fact, the phrase “false start, number
75” has been fairly common over the years. However, like
the
Cardinals, Brown stepped his game up over the second half
of
the 2011 season.

According to ProFootballFocus.com, Brown gave up 10
sacks, five hits and 32 hurries in the team’s first 10
games this season, however:

Levi Brown has only given up one sack and eight hurries in
the last six games. Think he may be looking to Free
Agency?

Therein lies the question for the Cardinals. Has Brown
actually turned the corner and become the left tackle the
team hoped he would, or did Brown play well in hopes of
landing a nice payday? If it’s the former, it would be
best for the team to keep him around, because quality left
tackles are not easy to find and it would be a shame to
lose the player just when he’s hitting his stride.

But if it’s the latter, investing even more money into the
player will be as big a mistake as selecting Brown in the
first place.

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