Free agent linebacker Zach Brown will be making a stop in Buffalo once more as part of his path toward a new contract, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports.
Brown, who signed a one-year deal with the Bills last offseason, started 16 games for the team and appeared in his first Pro Bowl as an alternate. He paced the league in tackles for most of the season, and added two forced fumbles and four sacks.
It wasn’t clear if the Bills had interest in retaining Brown, although his athleticism would likely play up in Sean McDermott’s variation of the 4-3. The team already had two possible starters on the team in Preston Brown and Reggie Ragland, and they had re-signed Lorenzo Alexander to nominally play as an outside linebacker.
Brown’s priorities may not align with Buffalo’s in the end, either. He’s indicated since the start of free agency that his goal is to get paid a significant sum, and he already moved on from a visit to the Raiders (who would later sign Jelani Jenkins instead) while vocalizing his goal of making more money.
To that end, Brown isn’t just adjusting his schedule to include new teams - he has also signed with a new agency. Still, given that he and the Bills were unable to come to an agreement before the new league year, it’s no sure thing to see him return in 2017. Until then, Preston Brown will keep lobbying to get the band back together.