UNC in the NFL: Zach Brown says it ‘felt good’ to re-sign with Redskins
By Zack Pearson
Former UNC linebacker Zach Brown is ready to build his legacy
After being selected in the second round as the 52nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, linebacker Zach Brown has spent six seasons in the NFL with three teams.
He played with the Tennessee Titans from 2012-15 before joining the Buffalo Bills on a one-year deal in 2016. In 2017, he spent the season with the Washington Redskins and has quietly been one of the best linebackers in the league.
Brown was set to be a free agent this season after recording 84 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Redskins. That was a year after he had a career-high 97 tackles to go along with four sacks in 2016.
But Brown didn’t last long on the free agent market and he didn’t go anywhere.
Last week the Redskins reached an agreement with Brown on a three-year deal for $24M with $5.5 million guaranteed. That keeps Brown in Washington through 2020 as he will be a key piece to a young defense.
For Brown, the decision was simple as he’s ready to contribute to the Redskins and help them bring home a championship.
Following the signing, Brown spoke to Redskins.com’s Jake Kring-Schreifels about staying in Washington.
“It feels good, you know, I’m staying home, back with the team,” Brown said via Kring-Schreifels. “We already got the chemistry here with a lot of the guys on the defense, you know we got to bring in some other pieces to try and win this championship but you know, right now it feels good, it feels real good.”
The Redskins have a talented defense, despite not making the playoffs in 2017. Along with Brown they have Jonathan Allen, Josh Norman and D.J. Swearinger.
They made the move to acquire quarterback Alex Smith after letting Kirk Cousins test the free agent market.
It’s going to be tough for them to win the NFC East with the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles in the way, plus a talented team in the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins should be in the playoff race next season and it could be the defense that helps get them there.
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The 28-year-old Brown will be entering his seventh season but this year he won’t be playing on a one-year deal. Instead, he’s in Washington to stay and hopes to help build a legacy for the Redskins.