Brandon Mebane, a key piece of Seattle's defenses dating back to 2007, is heading to San Diego. The veteran nose tackle, who started 125 of his 131 career games with the Seahawks, has agreed to terms on a three-year deal with San Diego, the Chargers announced Wednesday.
Fitting of someone who plays a position that comes with little glamour, Mebane usually tried to keep a low profile in Seattle, often singing a few lines of an old Williams Brothers song when reporters approached him in the locker room: "I'm just nobody, trying to tell everybody, about somebody, who can save anybody."
But Mebane was definitely a somebody in Seattle, helping anchor a run defense that in recent years consistently ranked among the top in the league, including the 2015 defense that led the NFL in rushing yards allowed (81.5 yards per game). His consistent and valuable play is why Mebane stuck around for so long even as Pete Carroll and John Schneider rebuilt the roster after taking over in 2010. By the end of his run in Seattle, Mebane was the longest-tenured player on the roster, and along with Jon Ryan, he was one of just two players left from the pre-Carroll and Schneider era.
But now Mebane moves on to San Diego, so we say good luck with the Chargers, Brandon. You, your stout defense and your "belly roll" celebrations will all be missed.
