Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Redskins Rumors: Mason Foster, Zach Brown set to start at linebacker in Saturday’s game vs. Packers

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Sterling Shepard #87 of the New York Giants carries the ball past inside linebacker Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on January 1, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Sterling Shepard #87 of the New York Giants carries the ball past inside linebacker Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on January 1, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Washington Redskins brought in Zach Brown this offseason to upgrade their linebacker corps. They now are going to have him start in the second preseason game.

This offseason, there was a surprising lack of interest in former Buffalo Bills linebacker Zach Brown. The talented linebacker was coming off a breakout year that saw him make the first Pro Bowl of his NFL career. He had demonstrated strong tackling ability and excellent speed that allowed him to be a three down player for most of the year.

With little interest in Brown, the free agent remained on the market long into free agency. In early April, Brown agreed to sign a deal with the Redskins. It was a one year pact that was well below the market value. He was expected to get a chance to start, but that would not be an easy task.

The Redskins had two linebackers that had been entrenched as the starters over the course of the past couple seasons. Will Compton and Mason Foster were the duo. While Foster was coming off a solid campaign, Compton was a liability in run support. Though he was instrumental to calling the team’s defense, he too often missed tackles that a normal starting linebacker should make.

Must Read: Previewing Redskins vs. Packers in Preseason Week 2

As a result, it appears that the Redskins may be trying to move Compton into a backup role. CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Rich Tandler reported the following of the Redskins linebacker situation.

This is a huge development, and one that is probably a necessity for the Redskins.

As good as Compton has been at setting up the team’s defense when on the field, the run support is just too problematic to have him as the starter. Especially when Brown is projected to be a three down linebacker. If Brown shows well with the starting unit, then he will almost certainly be able to lock down the starting job. This will relegate Compton to passing specific packages, but he will still be able to make an impact in those packages and on special teams.

Next: 5 Redskins to watch vs. Packers

Of course, Foster’s presence will help to allow this transition to work. With Foster calling the defense, Brown will be able to focus on making plays and really learning the new defense. This arrangement should work out well for the Redskins, and hopefully it will bolster the middle of the defense. It will be interesting to see how this plays out on Saturday against the Packers.

Home/Commanders News