Top Seattle sports stories of 2017: Seahawks add Pro Bowlers Sheldon Richardson, Duane Brown

The 12 hosts of 710 ESPN Seattle have voted on the top Seattle sports stories of 2017. Each day we will count down to the top story of the year with an article by a different host. Today, John Clayton covers the seventh biggest story, the Seahawks’ additions of Pro Bowlers Sheldon Richardson and Duane Brown.

It’s hard to acquire Pro Bowl-caliber players, especially when teams are making their final cuts at the end of training camp or are already into the season. Yet those are the times the Seahawks picked up a pair of Pro Bowlers in defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and left tackle Duane Brown, both players that have had a significant impact for Seattle in 2017.

Photo gallery: Seahawks add Pro Bowlers Brown, Richardson

Richardson is one of the more dominant inside defensive linemen in football. He’s exceptional in run-stopping, he draws double team blocks and he can overpower guards. After coming to the Seahawks at the end of the preseason from the Jets in a trade that saw Jermaine Kearse go to New York, he opened things up for Michael Bennett in pass-rush situations. Last year, the Seahawks didn’t have an inside option other than Bennett for their pass-rush, but now opposing offensive linemen have to keep track of not just Bennett but Richardson as well. Richardson’s presence is, in part, why Bennett’s numbers are up so much this year.

As for Brown, he has had to exceed all expectations. He’s a leader, and within a week or two of arriving in a trade from the Houston Texans in November, he stabilized the left side of Seattle’s offensive line. His addition has allowed Luke Joeckel to play between two Pro Bowl-caliber talents with Brown at left tackle and Justin Britt at center. It was a tough reality when the Seahawks lost George Fant in the preseason due to injury, but when they made the trade for Brown, they ended up with a better situation at left tackle.

A closer look at the Seahawks’ additions of Brown and Richardson

• Wyman’s Football 101: Sheldon Richardson makes his presence felt

• Player Spotlight: Seahawks DT Sheldon Richardson

• Clayton: Seahawks D-line could be NFL’s best with Richardson

• Sheldon Richardson’s job less complicated now

• O’Neil: Seahawks’ trade for Richardson a new twist on old strategy

• O’Neil: By trading for Duane Brown, Seahawks are in it to win

• Salk: Seahawks look to get back to their identity with Brown trade

• Seahawks’ Ifedi ecstatic to play on line with idol Brown

• New Seahawks LT Brown ‘couldn’t ask for anything better’