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Redskins: Why Zach Brown’s re-signing was the best move the Redskins could have made

By Jacob Camenker

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 2: Running back Kareem Hunt #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs makes a jump cut to try and avoid the tackle attempt of inside linebacker Zach Brown #53 of the Washington Redskins during the third quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on October 2, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. ( Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images )
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 2: Running back Kareem Hunt #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs makes a jump cut to try and avoid the tackle attempt of inside linebacker Zach Brown #53 of the Washington Redskins during the third quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on October 2, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. ( Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images ) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Zach Brown #53 and Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins sack quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Zach Brown #53 and Mason Foster #54 of the Washington Redskins sack quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Brown’s 2017 performance

In his first season with the Redskins, Brown was nothing short of fantastic. Operating as the team’s top inside linebacker, Brown brought something to the team that they had been lacking for a long time. Elite tackling ability.

In 2016, the Redskins linebackers, and chiefly starter Will Compton, had issues in run support with tackling. Too often, running backs were able to break off massive carries because of a lack of presence at the nose tackle position and the mediocre tackling abilities of the starting linebackers. That changed when Brown joined the team.

In the first four games of the season, when the Redskins were still mostly healthy, Brown helped to invigorate Greg Manusky‘s defensive unit. They had the looks of a potential top 10 defense at the time. Brown’s excellent athleticism, instincts, and fundamentals allowed him to make plays in the middle of the defense. His strong performance, and his ability to bring down opponents with his tackling ability, allowed more freedom for other players on the defense to make big plays.

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After 13 games, Brown had racked up 127 tackles which was ranked first in the whole league in terms of tackles. Had he played any of the last three games, which he didn’t after suffering a myriad of nagging injuries, he could have finished the year as the league’s top tackler.

The one area that Brown could stand to improve is his coverage ability. Last year, the Redskins linebackers struggled to stay with tight ends for the most part. That was one of their major weaknesses in the rare event when they had all their personnel on the field. Brown’s lesser coverage ability was likely part of what drove down his average annual value to $8 million, which was a great deal for both sides.

Still, Brown has the athletic ability to potentially improve in that area going forward. And as it stands, that was the only weakness that he really showed in 2017. For that reason, bringing back Brown was a no-brainer for the team.

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