The Washington Redskins signed linebacker Zach Brown to a contract on Monday. It turns out that the pact was a one year deal.
If there was one major weakness still haunting the Washington Redskins this late into free agency, it was the weakness of their linebacker corps. The team had some decent players at the position in 2016, but they all had at least one weakness that caused the unit to struggle as a whole. This was particular apparent in their run defense. The Redskins had to find a solution, and they made the decision to add linebacker Zach Brown on Monday afternoon.
Brown was a huge playmaker for the Bills in 2016. He had a breakout year, recording 149 tackles, four sacks, and made his first Pro Bowl as well. He really proved to be one of the more athletic 3-4 middle linebackers in the league, and he was set to command a decent payday in 2017.
However, the market never really materialized for Brown. Despite making visits to the Raiders, the Dolphins, and considering re-signing with the Bills, nothing was really right for Brown’s price range until the Redskins came along.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Brown inked a one year deal worth $4.65 million. Only $500K of that is guaranteed. That is a favorable deal that should end up benefiting both sides.
The Contract Is A Solid One On The Current Market
When the signing of Brown was originally announced, former sports agent and salary cap expert Joey Corry commented on a deal that could be similar to Brown’s:
If Zach Brown signed a 1-year with the Redskins, I would imagine it's comparable to Kevin Minter's $4.25M for 2017 with the Bengals.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) April 3, 2017
It turns out that Corry was absolutely right. Brown earned only $400K more than Kevin Minter despite performing better during the 2016 season. Brown possesses more athleticism than Minter, and he projected to be a better player for the Redskins because of his versatility. In a vacuum, based solely against Minter’s deal, Brown’s contract appears to be a really strong one.
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League wide, that also appears to be the case. Brown is set to the be the 13th highest paid inside linebacker based on yearly average per OverTheCap.com. He will be earning less than the uninspiring duo of A.J. Klein and Lawrence Timmons, who both signed as free agents this offseason.
Klein, despite being nothing more than a backup, earned $5 million annually. Timmons, meanwhile, earned $6 million per year, which seems right for a linebacker with his pedigree. However, at age 31 in May, Timmons may decline at any time, so the Dolphins may be paying on past production in his deal. Timmons’ athleticism was already a little lacking last year, so that makes his deal risky.
Brown’s contract has more upside than all three of the aforementioned deals. He has more athleticism and higher upside. Considering that he is only 27, Brown could just be hitting his prime and could continue to improve.
However, There Are Still Risks
The Brown signing does not come without risks. The first risk is a pretty obvious one. What if he does not play at the level he did in 2016?
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In four years with the Tennessee Titans, Brown did little to impress his coaching staffs. After starting for a couple of seasons at the beginning of his career, Brown came back as a backup and really had very little impact on the team. He always had great athletic ability, but he was never able to put it together and have a great season. Some question if he cared about football, and that is always a concern in the NFL.
Elsewhere, it is fair to wonder if Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme was what allowed Brown to have such success. Though Ryan was never a terrific head coach, he was an excellent defensive mind and was able to help a lot of his players to develop. Brown could be one on a laundry list of veterans that Ryan has shaped into a producer over the course of his career. Greg Manusky may have trouble getting the same production if he plays Brown in an unfamiliar role.
The final concern is that Brown may not be able to call the defensive plays for the Redskins. He has struggled to do that in the past, so it may be difficult to justify starting him over Will Compton if that is true. It would make most sense for Brown to be a three down linebacker with Compton coming in during coverage situations, but that may not work out for the team as they are currently constructed.
At The End Of The Day, This Is An Excellent Signing
The addition of Brown is one that the Redskins are unlikely to regret. The Redskins did well to protect against risk by signing Brown to a one year deal. Even if the veteran does not pan out, the team can write him off as a sunk cost and part ways with him during the 2018 offseason. In the short run, he gives them an upside player at linebacker and that should help the team out.
If Brown pans out, the Redskins can make him one of their top offseason priorities in 2018. They could even use the franchise tag on him if they thought he was that valuable, though Kirk Cousins and Terrelle Pryor will also be candidates to get slapped with the tag.
Overall, there are very few negatives to bringing Brown on board. They got him at a solid value and he should upgrade their defense. Bruce Allen deserves some praise for being able to bring in a player of Brown’s caliber this late into free agency.