Philadelphia Eagles LB Zach Brown labeled as underrated by PFF

Believe it or not, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Brown may actually sneak up on a few people in 2019. That is if PFF is correct in their assessment of him as ‘underrated’.

Here’s a joke you can tell some of your buddies the next time you guys are hanging out. What does 633 career tackles, 17.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, seven interceptions, and two interceptions get you if you’re an NFL linebacker? In the case of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Zach Brown, it might get you thrown into the category of underrated.

Okay, maybe that’s not really that funny after all, but that’s some of the conversation surrounding the former second-round selection these days. Recently, Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus named the most underrated player at every position, and Brown found his way onto the list.

Here’s more from Renner on the subject:

"Even after Brown earned his due credit with a three-year, $21 million deal last offseason, he was once again disrespected by being released only a year later. Last season, Brown finished with an 89.2 overall grade that trailed only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly among off-ball linebackers. Over the last four seasons, his grades for run defense and coverage both rank in the top 15 for starting linebackers."

So, let’s investigate. Some of you are probably wondering how Brown found his way onto this list in the first place. Three stellar seasons over three consecutive campaigns haven’t gotten him much. A Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro nod in 2016 got him run out of town by the Buffalo Bills.

That’s when he landed in the nation’s capital, but after two impressive seasons with the Washington Redskins, the guys in D.C. decided not to give him a long-term deal. That’s how he found his way to Philly, but seeing as how ‘The Birds’ only saw fit to give him a one-year, $3 million dollar contract, people are starting to wonder.

If this guy is so good, why can’t he find a home? This is the fourth team he’s been on since he entered the league in 2012. When you think about all of that, you have to think that this guy may, indeed, be underrated after all.

There hasn’t been much fanfare after the initial buzz that came when he was signed, but here’s what we know. Eagles vice president and general manager Howie Roseman knows what he’s doing, and Eagles fans are among the smartest in sports.

They know what they’ve got in Brown. He knows what he’s capable of. Expect a big year out of this guy. We definitely won’t be calling him underrated once the games count for real or at this time next season.