The 2019 Seattle Seahawks will be a playoff team. I just know it. You know how I know it? Easy. In the former Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboy head coach Jimmy Johnson’s model for a winning formula, a championship level team must have an answer at these for spots; quarterback, cornerback, pass rusher, and left tackle. Those are the four cornerstone pieces according to Jimmy, and Seattle definitely has a good one of them with this guy.

Left tackle Duane Brown.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Why is Brown going to make a big impact for the 2019 Seahawks?

Did you not read that opening paragraph? He’s a Jimmy Johnson cornerstone player, and a pro bowl one at that. Seattle has not been this strong at this position since Walter Jones well over a decade ago, and at 33 years of age, he is still very much in his prime, and if truth be told, he is probably the alpha dog of this offense, if not the entire team. That is going to help this team big time, and allow me to explain.

When wide receiver Doug Baldwin suddenly retired last Spring, it was fairly panic inducing for many Twelves, understandably, including yours truly. Even though he had a down statistical year due to injuries, when healthy he was still impactful, but I think his impact went well beyond his play.

Baldwin was Angry Doug. He would ride players when he felt he needed to at critical times, including the beloved franchise quarterback. I think some panic with the Twelves probably lands pretty squarely in this one aspect: without Angry Doug, who is going to be that critical voice when the offense isn’t playing well?

I think it’s pretty obviously going to be Brown. He was the alpha of the Houston Texans offense before he was traded to Seattle, and in the season and a half of play that I’ve seen from him in this town, I have, on more than one occasion, noticed him chirping a bit to Russell Wilson when maybe the quarterback took a sack he shouldn’t have, or let the play go on longer than it should have before getting the ball out. I’ve also noticed him being a calming force on the line for younger players, such as Germiane Ifedi, when maybe they get a little too caught up in the moment.

These are things a true alpha does, and some alphas are so alpha that they don’t really need to do or say that much, but when you do, you can not deny their awesome alpha-ness, and you listen. You just do it. You have to.

Duane Brown is that type of awesome alpha. When you look at him, as his big, solid doorframe of a body steps into the room, with his oozing confidence and cool intelligence, he kind of makes you feel all warm and mushy. Like you just want to bask in his awesomeness. You just subconsciously think to yourself “yeah, that guy’s pretty cool. I could hang with him. If my significant other thinks he’s hot, I’m cool with it.”

Leadership is a word that constantly gets said about him, and players naturally respect him. He is very much a part of the new nucleus of this team, and as left tackles can play longer in this league than other positions, he could easily be here another three or four years. So get used to every awesome fiber of this alpha dog.

And get used to an offensive line that is now a strength of the team as opposed to a painful blemish. This line has a chance to be one of the best in the league this year, and it all starts with this one awesome player paid handsomely to protect the beloved franchise quarterback.

Sleep easy knowing Duane Brown is on your team, and everything will be okay. He’s that kind of awesome.

Go Hawks.