Grading the Redskins inside linebackers on the 2017 performance

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Zach Vigil #56 of the Washington Redskins forces Rod Smith #45 of the Dallas Cowboys out of bounds short of the goal in the fourth quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Zach Vigil #56 of the Washington Redskins forces Rod Smith #45 of the Dallas Cowboys out of bounds short of the goal in the fourth quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 30, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 05: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is pressured by inside linebacker Zach Brown #53 of the Washington Redskins during the second quarter of the game against the Washington Redskins at CenturyLink Field on November 5, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Redskins won 17-14. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 05: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is pressured by inside linebacker Zach Brown #53 of the Washington Redskins during the second quarter of the game against the Washington Redskins at CenturyLink Field on November 5, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Redskins won 17-14. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Zach Brown

Zach Brown had the biggest impact of any of the Redskins linebackers this season. It wasn’t close. Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Brown was expected to come in and do well as a three down linebacker. However, even the Redskins couldn’t have expected him to make such a huge impact.

In his first year with the Redskins, Brown had a major impact on the team’s tackling ability. In the first month of the season, the Redskins defense showed excellent fundamentals and were able to win a big game over the Oakland Raiders thanks to their improved defensive ability. That was in no small part due to Brown’s superb tackling ability that made the middle of the defense more able to swarm all over the field.

By the end of the year, Brown had 127 tackles and 2.5 sacks in just 13 games. He dealt with a multitude of injuries including Achilles, hamstring, and toe maladies that didn’t keep him out of a contest until the end of the season. Brown only sat out once the team had been virtually eliminated, so he deserves a lot of credit for playing tough, and playing well, through those injuries.

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The one area where Brown could stand to improve is in coverage. Brown was merely decent in helping to cover tight ends, and that’s part of why the Redskins had some trouble against that position during the season. Brown has the athleticism to be able to fare well in coverage, so perhaps the nagging injuries caused him to struggle a bit this season in that aspect.

Regardless of the minor issues that Brown had this year, he did really well and greatly improved the Redskins front seven. He was one of the key players on the defense this year, and he well may have been the best player on the defensive side of the ball. For that reason, he will get a high mark for his 2017 performance.

Brown’s 2017 Grade: A