After being released by the Packers, Za’Darius Smith will remain in the NFC North. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the pass rusher is signing a three-year, $42MM deal with the Vikings (Twitter link). He adds that the contract’s maximum value is $47MM. Minnesota has confirmed the signing.
Smith was let go by the Packers after three seasons with the team. Green Bay made it clear early in the offseason that he would only be brought back at a reduced cost. That led him to free agency for the second time in his career. Many pointed to a reunion in Baltimore – where he spent the first four seasons of his career – as a distinct possibility.
A deal seemed to be done between those two sides, which would pay the 29-year-old $35MM over four years. One day after a number of other edge rushers on the market found new homes, however, it came out that Smith was in fact not signing with the Ravens.
Still on the open market, Smith garnered interest from both the Cowboys and Vikings. The latter met with Smith yesterday, opening the door to a deal. On the lookout for a compliment to fellow 2015 draftee Danielle Hunter, Smith will represent a significant addition to Minnesota’s pass-rush department.
At a annual average value of $14MM, the Vikings’ deal is a raise of $5.25MM per season over that offered by Baltimore. While it comes in at a rate notably lower than the compensation the likes of Von Miller and Chandler Jones have received this offseason, it’s not far off the $16.5MM average of his previous pact in Green Bay. With a lucrative new contract in place, he can now face his former team twice per year.
I will be interested in seeing how the Vikings fit this under the cap. I thought they were low in cao room. I guess not.
Cap room.
Restructure Danielle and it’s done.
I tried to tell em last week!
But Cowboys fans told me he was coming to Dallas
And Gregory was staying.
Just another near miss by dem Boys.
Massive overpay by the Vikings. But good for smith for the cash grab
Have you looked at the other edge contracts being signed this year? He’s going to be tied for the 19th highest average edge rusher cap hit per year.
hope he fired his agent before his new deal.
By walking from BAL he cashed in for 5 million more in a weeks wait! Didnt matter where but who? Who paid the money. Smart move.
hahahahah, take that Packers! hahaha
“I still own you”.
Let’s see..they saved like $15 mil by cutting a guy who was unhappy with the F.O. for reworking his contract AND is coming off a back injury that limited him to action in 2 of a possible 18 contests. Oh, and the defense was as good if not better without him.
Meanwhile the Vikes pony up more for 3 years than he initially agreed to take from Baltimore on a 4 year deal.
Yup, GB is the one to laugh at here.
Manny – But yet, BUT YET, you’d take him back to your beloved Pack if Rodgers wouldn’t have cost a kings ransom. Oh BTW – how is that Adams thing turning out, bringing everyone back are ya?
You’ll say, “but Adams was adamant about going to Oakland”. Yea ok, what’s he gonna say, “Rodgers is a gigantic D0uche and I don’t want to play with him”? He’s going to say everything politically correct to make it look like an easy transaction. If he truly wanted to go to Oakland, he would have done so weeks or months prior.
Baldy- when gb redid Z’s deal last summer I, as well as everyone with half a brain knew he wouldn’t be on the team in ’22, regardless of any other cap business, Rodgers deal or current gas prices. I never had an issue with him, but I also think everyone knows bringing a guy back after a back injury probably isn’t a good idea. I’m pretty sure I mentioned all along Z was a cap casualty and was ok with it.
As for the Adams thing, I guess you’ve now changed to “he hates Rodgers and always has” or something. I honestly don’t know, but I kinda doubt it. But I’m sure you have plenty of unsubstantiated proof from unnamed sources. Probably the same ones who SWORE Rodgers was gone.
Way to go Champ! Have a cookie to celebrate.
I actually had TWO cookies, thank you very much!!
You better hope Rodgers gets it done this year because just like the Vikings, Green Bay will be paying huge for their restructured deals down the line.
Vikings back to taking the Packers’ sloppy seconds.
Always works out well gor them.
Sure did with Ryan Longwell and Darren Sharper, if not with Greg Jenning, though considering the level of the QB’ing the Vikes had at the time.
Dude likely won’t play in more than 8 games this year.
I wish the Giants got some help in the pass rusher department
Yea, good luck with that
Speculation I heard was he didn’t pass his physical with the Ravens and they agreed to do him a solid and let him walk away. Usually when someone walks away from signing they go to another team right away. That didn’t happen in this case.
From who? Some nitwit on FB commenting on a post? Nobody with any credibility has said that. When a player fails a physical, it comes out publicly. He backed out because he saw old man Von get paid 20mil per and Jones get 18+.