Huard: Carlos Dunlap will have ‘wind in his sails’ after joining Seahawks

The Seahawks desperately needed help on the defensive line after their Week 7 loss in Arizona, and the team went out and did something about it, acquiring two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap from the Cincinnati Bengals for backup center B.J. Finney and a seventh-round pick.

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Dunlap, 31, entered the NFL in 2010 as the Bengals’ second-round pick and has been extremely productive throughout his career, recording 82.5 career sacks, 103 tackles for loss, 227 QB hits and forcing 20 fumbles.

The move offers a likely win for both the Seahawks, who have one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL this season, and for the veteran Dunlap, who after 10 years with the Bengals voiced his displeasure with the franchise and his lack of playing time before being shipped to Seattle on Wednesday.

What does former NFL quarterback Brock Huard think of the move? He joined 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant Thursday morning to share his thoughts.

He started first with what Dunlap adds to the defense.

“Carlos Dunlap is a physical guy, and this defensive line needs physicality,” Huard said. “They need somebody that can win and obviously beat a pass block, they need somebody that can set an edge. The guy’s got ‘Go Go Gadget’ arms, so he can disrupt and tip passes. I think he’s one of the best in a long time at doing that.”

Indeed, Dunlap is tied with three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt for the most tipped passes by a defensive lineman since 2010 with 54.

Dunlap has just one sack in 2020, but he’s played fewer and fewer snaps as the year has gone on, playing just 12 total in the Bengals’ last game. As mentioned, Dunlap has been seeking a trade for most of the 2020 season and he got hit wish. Huard thinks the move could be just what Dunlap needs, especially once he gets into the swing of things in Seattle.

“He’s a disgruntled player who’s just been in Cincinnati for a decade,” he said. “And as we’ve seen with Duane Brown and even (Jadeveon) Clowney a year ago, coming in to this organization is just going to be wind in his sails. Like, ‘Are you serious? You guys take care of your players like this? Treat us like this? Your facility is like this?’ I mean, he’s known no different in the NFL.”

Huard also thinks it’s an immediate upgrade for Dunlap as far as the level of play on the field.

“I think it will be an exceptional fit for the player to come here and say, ‘My gosh, I can play a huge role on a contending team. A chance to legitimately win a championship.’ And on top of it, play for a coach, play in a system, play for a team that takes care of you and doesn’t just treat you like a business asset, but really does want to bring the most out of you,” Huard said.

Listen to the conversation at this link or in the player below.

Follow Brock Huard on Twitter.

Heaps: What Carlos Dunlap brings to the table for Seahawks’ defense

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