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The Arizona Cardinals announced the signing of inside linebacker Zach Brown and the release of running back Alfred Morris on Friday. From the team:
The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has signed linebacker Zach Brown and has released running back Alfred Morris.
Brown (6-1, 250) is an eight-year veteran who has appeared in 100 games (80 starts) in his career with the Eagles (2019), Redskins (2017-18), Bills (2016), and Titans (2012-15) after entering the league with Tennessee as a second-round (52nd overall) selection in the 2012 NFL Draft out of North Carolina. The 30-year old Brown has 661 tackles (461 solo), 17.5 sacks, seven interceptions (two returned for TDs), six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
In 2016, Brown led the Bills with an AFC-high 149 tackles and earned his first career Pro Bowl selection as well as second-team All-Pro honors. The past two seasons with Washington (2017-18), Brown had a team leading 223 tackles. He started six games earlier this season for the Eagles prior to being released on October 14.
Brown will wear jersey #51.
With David Johnson starting to return to healthy form, Morris became a casualty to open a spot for a player that could come in and have an impact immediately. Haason Reddick has been unreliable at best as an inside linebacker and Joe Walker is more of a special teams player at this point in his career. Signing Brown to play across from Jordan Hicks makes a lot of sense.