In preparation for the 2019 season, the Cleveland Browns are making every effort to reassemble as much of their elite 2023 defense as possible.
Though defensive end Za’Darius Smith is one player who is expected to reach the open market, there aren’t many starters or significant players who are guaranteed to become free agents in March.
To get the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher into the mix before the previous season, Cleveland surrendered a pair of fifth-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings. They also modified his contract, paying him just under $12 million on a one-year agreement. As part of the deal, the Browns also acquired a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round selection from the Vikings in 2025.
The Browns will prioritize re-signing the defensive end this offseason ahead of his age-32 campaign, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who cited general manager Andrew Berry.
“On Tuesday, February 27, Cabot wrote that a league source informed Cleveland.com that Berry made it clear that the Browns would love to re-sign Smith, who’s set to test the free agent waters beginning on March 11.”
That same day, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Berry talked with media.
He was a perfect fit. Very happy with his work,” Berry stated of Smith. “He was amazing in there. He was a tremendous joy to have around.
In 2023, Za’Darius Smith and Myles Garrett Put Browns Under Constant PressureÂ
Smith recorded an average of 12 sacks per season in 2019, 2020, and 2022, Pro Bowl standards that were not met by his regular counting stats. In terms of applying pressure to rival quarterbacks, he was still on the verge of being exceptional during the previous season.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Smith had six sacks in the regular season. More significantly, though, during 387 pass rush snaps in 2023, the defensive end recorded 60 pressures and 14 QB hits. Because Smith often disrupts opponent defenses’ pockets, PFF ranked him 16th out of 112 edge defenders who saw enough snaps to meet eligibility requirements in the previous season.
Myles Garrett, who earned the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award and was ranked first by PFF among all edge players in 2023, was Smith’s opponent and contributed to his stat line, as Garrett was targeted by more double teams than nearly every other pass rusher in football during the previous season.
Few teams in the NBA can match Cleveland if Smith’s ultimate aims are to win and keep producing while playing excellent defense. But he will undoubtedly be pursuing a large salary on what is probably his final opportunity at a major contract. The DE’s return to orange and brown in 2024 and beyond will therefore probably depend on the type of space the Browns can clear for Smith and what they think his value is going into his mid-30s.
According to Spotrac, Smith would be worth approximately $25 million in total over the course of a new two-year contract, or $12.4 million a year.
If the Browns are unable to bring back Za’Darius Smith, they will prioritize getting an advantage in free agency.Â
According to Cabot’s report on Tuesday, Cleveland would give priority to the position in free agency even if they are unable to reunite Smith and Garrett on the defensive end.
“The Browns will turn their attention to some of the other excellent defensive linemen expected to hit the market if they and Smith are unable to come to an agreement, and they’re expected to be strong contenders to keep him,” Cabot wrote.
Again, who Cleveland pursues will depend on how much Berry and company are willing to pay for the job. In a few weeks, the Vikings’ Danielle Hunter and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Josh Allen should become available, but the Browns might not be able to afford their contract demands.
Cleveland might also look at Chase Young of the San Francisco 49ers or Andrew Van Ginkel of the Miami Dolphins, two other, less expensive edge defenders.
