The Oakland Raiders made a roster move on Monday, signing linebacker Preston Brown and placing wide receiver Dwayne Harris on injured reserve.
For Harris, this marks the end of his 2019 season that was limited to just three games due to ankle and foot injuries. Trevor Davis has been handling return duties in his absence, and that will likely continue the rest of the way.
Brown was originally a third-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2014 out of Louisville. The six-year NFL veteran signed a three-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals this past offseason but was waived after playing in nine games (eight starts). He has 52 total tackles (26 solo), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery this season.
The Bengals and Raiders run similar defensive schemes, so Brown is already ahead of the curve and looking forward to getting to work with his new team, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
Just talked to him. He expects to integrate quickly considering the similarities between what the Bengals and Raiders do defensively. Has watched Raiders film already (he worked out with the team last week) and is excited to join a team in a playoff chase. https://t.co/MMq0Dso941
— Scott Bair (@BairNBCS) November 18, 2019
The linebacker position has been perhaps the Raiders’ biggest weakness this season, so the hope is that bringing in a veteran of Brown’s caliber will bring some stability to that position. Because Brown is a veteran, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is hoping to get him on the field as fast as possible, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
Gruden said Preston Brown "has all the intangibles you look for in a middle linebacker. He is charismatic, intelligent, a football junkie" and had three 100-tackle seasons. "We will try to fast-track him." #Raiders
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) November 18, 2019
Oakland’s defense as a whole has begun to find their form in recent weeks, and they will look to continue that when they travel to take on the New York Jets in Week 12.
