The man who led the NFL in tackles last season has found a new home. According to various reports, the Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Buffalo Bills linebacker Preston Brown.
Ryan Talbot of NYup.com was the first to report the signing.
Update: Source says talks with Bills have concluded. “He’s going where he feels wanted and returning home to the #Bengals.” https://t.co/AhokM7AfnK
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) March 16, 2018
It’s since been confirmed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
This is a rare trek into the free agent market for a Bengals team that’s been surprisingly active thus far during the offseason. The team previously signed defensive tackle Chris Baker and acquired offensive tackle Cordy Glenn from these very same Bills.
Brown, 25, has been a fixture in the Bills’ defense since being selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Last season saw the Louisville product put up an NFL-best 144 tackles. In fact, he’s recorded 100-plus tackles in each of his first four NFL seasons. He figures to take over for Kevin Minter as the Bengals’ starting middle linebacker moving forward.