Za’Darius Smith

Browns, Lions Complete Za’Darius Smith Trade

Rumored to be near the finish line while the Browns were playing their Week 9 game, the team’s deal with the Lions involving Za’Darius Smith is now done. The veteran pass rusher will be dealt to a third NFC North franchise.

As it turns out, Detroit will end up paying less for Smith than initially reported. The Lions will receive Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports, while the Browns will acquire a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Cleveland’s hopes in acquiring a better return for Smith led to the delay here, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the AFC North team was hoping someone would send over a fourth-round pick for the veteran edge defender. Exiting Week 9, no club was willing to do so. That will lead to the Browns accepting the Lions’ offer.

These terms are not far off from those involved in the 2023 trade that sent Smith from Minnesota to Cleveland. Following the 2023 draft, the Vikings dealt Smith and 2025 sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Browns for 2024 and 2025 fifths. Eighteen months later, Smith is involved in another trade that includes at least three Day 3 draft choices.

The Lions will take on Smith’s remaining salary, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. That only requires a $605K payment, however. The Browns, as they are wont to do under GM Andrew Berry, inserted void years in Smith’s contract to reduce his cap hits. He entered the season with just $1.21MM due in 2024 base salary. Smith re-signed with the Browns on a two-year, $23MM deal in March. The Lions will take on this through-2025 contract, giving them flexibility to keep the well-traveled defender next season as well. Smith is due a $1.5MM base salary in 2025; that money is not guaranteed.

Aidan Hutchinson suffering a broken leg made the Lions an obvious pass-rushing suitor, and Smith ended up being asked about a potential trade to Detroit not long after the then-Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner went down. Smith, 32, expressed intrigue about a Lions fit; soon after, a report pointed to the Lions showing interest. The former Packers and Vikings edge rusher will move from Myles Garrett sidekick on a 2-7 team to the most accomplished healthy pass rusher for a 7-1 squad.

While the Lions have steamrolled their way to the top of the NFC, they have done so without reliable production from their non-Hutchinson edge players. Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks before going down in Week 5. Through eight games, no other Lions player has tallied more than 2.5 sacks. Among outside rushers, no Lion has accumulated more than one sack this season.

Smith checks a key box for a team that allocated significant offseason resources to locking down the core GM Brad Holmes assembled. The former Pro Bowler helped the Packers to two NFC championship games and aided the Vikings to the 2022 NFC North title during his one Minnesota season; the Lions will hope their former rival can push their effort over the top.

It will cost the Browns nearly $19MM in dead money to move Smith, which certainly presents an interesting scenario for a team tied to Deshaun Watson‘s contract through 2026. The Smith dead money will be spread over two years for the Browns. As the Watson contract has done the most to sink this Browns team after a 2023 playoff season, Berry and Co. have been tied to more seller’s moves before today’s 3pm CT deadline.

Despite the Browns’ struggles this season, is on a better pace compared to his 2023 form. Helping last year’s Cleveland squad to the No. 1 pass defense ranking, Smith finished with 5.5 sacks. Through nine games this year, he has five. Smith posted 20 QB hits last season; he has seven thus far this year.

The former Ravens, Packers and Vikings EDGE has reeled off three double-digit sack seasons — each of which coming in the NFC North. He reached 13.5 sacks upon signing with Green Bay in 2019 and added 12.5 to help the Pack return to the NFC title game a year later. Upon signing with the Vikings in 2022, Smith teamed with Danielle Hunter to record 10 sacks.

The Browns have now moved Smith and Amari Cooper. They are not planning to trade Garrett or Denzel Ward, but other names have come up. Greg Newsome‘s name has come up. It will be interesting to see if the retooling squad unloads more pieces over the next several hours. The Lions have not shown they need much, but they also could further augment their roster before today’s trade endpoint.

Lions, Browns Expected To Finalize Za’Darius Smith Trade

10:42pm: Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms the Browns and Lions have had talks regarding a Smith deal. He adds the price, should this agreement be finalized, will likely be around a fourth-round pick. That level of compensation would, of course, set the market for any other edge rush trades over the coming days.

1:16pm: Za’Darius Smithhas long been connected to a trade sending him from the Browns to the Lions. Signs continue to point in that direction.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports a deal between the teams is expected to be finalized tonight or tomorrow. At the moment, Smith is taking part in Cleveland’s Week 9 contest against the Chargers. Provided he does not suffer an injury during today’s game, attention will turn to the status of negotiations for a swap to be worked out.

Smith spoke about the possibility of a Lions arrival last month, stating an openness to a deal which would send him to the Motor City. Presuming this trade does indeed get worked out, the three-time Pro Bowler will return to the NFC North. A former Packer and Viking, Smith will have the chance to play two of his former teams during the latter stages of the 2024 season if he does indeed wind up with the Lions.

Detroit is without Marcus Davenport for the year, something which was exacerbated by Aidan Hutchinson‘s broken tibia. The latter could make a Super Bowl return, but his absence created a massive vacancy along the edge for the time being. In the build-up to Week 9, Lions head coach Dan Campbell strongly hinted at a pass rush addition being around the corner, so today’s report comes as no surprise.

The Lions are short on established options along the edge with their top two options on the mend, so Smith will have plenty of playing time available provided he does wind up changing teams. The 32-year-old recorded at least 10 sacks in each healthy season between 2019 and ’22, but he had a quieter debut Cleveland campaign last year (5.5). So far in 2024, though, Smith has racked up five sacks, a sign that he has remained productive deep into his career. Providing at least a depth presence on the edge for Detroit would be key for the team’s Super Bowl hopes.

The NFC North figures to be highly competitive throughout the season, and any acquisitions on the Lions’ part could tip the scales in their favor. The team has been connected to other trade candidates, but Smith has remained the most common target for some time now. He is attached to a base salary of just $1.21MM for 2024, along with a non-guaranteed $1.5MM in base pay next year. Smith is owed a $2MM roster bonus not long after the start of the next league year, so an adjustment from the Lions – should they end up acquiring him – would not come as a surprise.

Titans’ DE Arden Key Drawing Trade Interest; Latest On Lions’ EDGE Search

The Cardinals are interested in the GiantsAzeez Ojulari, and Arizona’s search for a pass rusher has not stopped there. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cards have also reached out to the Titans to discuss a trade for defensive end Arden Key.

[RELATED: Titans Will Not Trade DL Jeffery Simmons]

Key, 28, is under club control through 2025 and is due a manageable $6.5MM salary next season. So even though the 1-6 Titans are obvious sellers at this year’s deadline, they do not need to move Key if they do not get an offer to their liking.

That said, New York is setting a high price on Ojulari, which could in turn boost Tennessee’s leverage in any talks involving Key (although Big Blue is reportedly unlikely to recoup more than a Day 3 selection for Ojulari, regardless of any posturing to the contrary). Key, a former third-round pick of the Raiders, struggled to find his footing with the Silver-and-Black, but he established himself as a useful complementary edge defender by posting 11 sacks and 32 quarterback hits over the 2021-22 seasons, which he split between the 49ers and Jaguars.

He turned that performance into a three-year, $21MM contract with the Titans in the 2023 offseason, and he recorded six sacks and 12 QB hits in his first year in Nashville. This year, he has tallied three sacks and six QB hits through seven games, and Pro Football Focus has assigned him a strong 70.3 pass rush grade.

The 4-4 Cardinals, who surprisingly find themselves at the top of a muddy NFC West picture, have been hit hard by injuries along the defensive line, and GM Monti Ossenfort recently confirmed that he has explored deals that could bolster his club’s pass rush.

At the end of October, Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Detroit could soon be making a move to address its EDGE corps, which has lost both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season. Armando Salguero of Outkick.com named Key as an “outside possibility” for the Lions, although Key’s performance in Tennessee’s recent loss to the Detroit – two sacks and six total tackles – could have caught the eye of Campbell & Co.

The Lions have already been connected to the BrownsZa’Darius Smith, and both Russini and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirm that Detroit has indeed checked in on Smith. Salguero, meanwhile, names the PanthersJadeveon Clowney and the SaintsChase Young as other possible targets for the Lions.

Trade Rumors: Jefferson, Tomlinson, Browns, 49ers, Broncos, Texans

Following the Amari Cooper swap, more Browns seller’s trades are expected. Za’Darius Smith has emerged as perhaps the top post-Cooper trade chip, but two members of their interior D-line profile as candidates to move. More definitively, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline indicates the Browns will trade Quinton Jefferson if they receive an offer. The nomadic DT has not played since Week 5, with the Browns not receiving much in the way of production on a one-year, $4MM deal. Having played for five teams in the past five seasons (Bills, Raiders, Seahawks, Jets, Browns), Jefferson has been in a number of schemes and has experience at D-tackle and end. He may have drawn some interest already, and it does not sound like it will take much for a team to acquire the 31-year-old D-lineman.

One of the reasons Jefferson is not seeing the field, Dalvin Tomlinson remains the Browns’ lead DT. He is signed to a four-year, $57MM deal, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson views Tomlinson and Smith as the most likely Browns to be moved at the Nov. 5 deadline. Being the Browns, void years on Tomlinson’s deal have the eighth-year veteran’s base salary at $1.2MM. That would make an acquisition appealing for a team, as Tomlinson has been productive in New York, Minnesota and Cleveland and does not have any guaranteed money due beyond 2024. Pro Football Focus ranked Tomlinson as a top-30 DT from 2017-22 and slots the 30-year-old 31st through eight games.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

Trade Rumors: Smith, Broncos, Johnson

Za’Darius Smith continues to come up in trade rumors, despite the Browns snapping their losing skid in Week 8. While Cleveland is not prepared to deal Myles Garrett due to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year remaining a cornerstone presence, Smith looms as a player likely to be dealt as the team regroups midway through Deshaun Watson‘s catastrophic contract. The Browns are still hearing from teams, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, with the former indicating a reasonable Day 3 pick would likely complete a trade. The Lions figure to be a team in on Smith, who addressed a potential Detroit deal recently, while the Ravens — who nearly re-signed Smith in 2022 — are believed to be eyeing defensive help.

In 2023, Smith moved from Minneapolis to Cleveland in a pick-swap trade that featured two fifth-rounders going to the Vikings along with sixth- and seventh-rounders being sent to the Browns. The veteran pass rusher is now 32 and tied to a two-year, $23MM deal that features both a veteran-minimum 2024 base salary — thanks to the Browns’ penchant for void years lowering cap hits — and a $2MM roster bonus due in 2025. The Browns would take on a hefty dead money bill if/when they move Smith, with $14MM-plus set to hit their 2025 books as a result of a deal. That would be an interesting development for a team that has Watson tied to a $72.9MM 2025 cap number.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

  • While the Browns will not need to cover any of Smith’s salary to move him, the Bears certainly will if they want to trade benched guard Nate Davis. Chicago is interested in dealing Davis, who has disappointed on his three-year, $30MM contract. Davis is due just more than $5MM in remaining 2024 salary, and Fowler notes the Bears are prepared to pay some of that tab to extract an asset from an O-line-needy team. Davis, 28, may see his path back to the Bears’ lineup further impeded by Ryan Bates‘ re-emergence; the 2024 trade pickup is in the IR-return window. Davis has not played since Week 5, and the four-year Titans starter has not started since Week 2.
  • John Lynch confirmed during a KNBR appearance (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) the 49ers were not in on Diontae Johnson. The eighth-year GM has said the 49ers are confident in their receiving group even with Brandon Aiyuk out for the season. San Francisco defeated Dallas without Jauan Jennings but expects to have the WR3 back after their Week 9 bye. As for the Panthers‘ effort to move Johnson, 1340 AM’s Sheena Quick notes two teams were negotiating with the NFC South team prior to the Ravens‘ entrance into the derby. Baltimore came in last, per Quick, but is believed to have made the best offer. The Ravens checked in with a pick-swap proposal involving fifth- and sixth-rounders, and the Panthers are also paying part of Johnson’s salary in what became a wildly underwhelming return for Carolina. The Panthers had initially targeted a mid-round pick for the contract-year wideout.
  • Teams are wondering if the Broncos will still consider selling despite their best eight-game start (5-3) since 2016. In addition to Zach Wilson, previously believed to be available, Fowler adds teams view outside linebacker Baron Browning and cornerback Damarri Mathis as potentially available pieces. A starter to open the season, Browning just returned from IR. Teams looking at the contract-year edge defender points to a potential belief the Broncos will view fellow 2021 draftee Jonathon Cooper as the more likely extension candidate. Browning has played as a backup to Nik Bonitto upon returning, though a trade would strip an option away from a strong Denver defense. A starter to open last season, Mathis has been buried on Denver’s depth chart — one including Riley Moss as Patrick Surtain‘s boundary CB complement — since being activated from IR. Mathis generated summer trade buzz as well.

Titans DL Jeffery Simmons “Off Limits” In Trade Talks

The Titans have already started pivoting to 2025, with the organization having dealt wideout DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones over the past week. While the front office will likely continue to sell off players with an eye towards the future, one piece that is likely staying put is defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Simmons is considered “off-limits” in trade talks. The Titans believe the defensive lineman is a “big part of their future,” and the rebuilding squad presumably has Simmons penciled in to their future cap sheets.

The former first-round pick has spent his entire career in Tennessee, earning a pair of All-Pro nods while collecting 26.5 sacks. The lineman inked a four-year, $94MM extension with the organization prior to the 2023 campaign, but he was limited to only 12 games that season before landing on IR.

The 27-year-old has appeared in five of the Titans’ six games this year, collecting 17 stops and one sack. Pro Football Focus has ranked Simmons 18th among 119 qualifying interior defenders this season, including the third-best positional grade for run defense.

Naturally, a number of teams would love to add the six-foot-four, 305-pound lineman to their defense, with Russini specifically pointing to the Lions, Ravens, and Vikings. Those squads would also likely be eyeing Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, although Russini echoes previous reports that those two players won’t be moved. Instead, the reporter suggests DL-needy teams could look to the likes of Jadeveon Clowney (Panthers), Preston Smith (Packers), and Za’Darius Smith (Browns).

Myles Garrett Does Not Expect To Be Traded; Browns Receiving Calls On Za’Darius Smith

Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have been floated as potential trade chips ahead of this year’s deadline, and in either case a deal being worked out would amount to a blockbuster. The latter made it clear on Friday he does not see himself being moved, however.

“I’ll be playing here,” Garrett declared when asked about his future with the Browns beyond the November 5 deadline (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). With the team sitting a 1-6 on the year, a seller’s standpoint – beyond the decision to trade away wideout Amari Cooper – would come as no surprise. Teams have called about Garrett’s availability, but no consideration is being given to a move sending him (or three-time Pro Bowl corner Denzel Ward, for that matter) elsewhere.

Garrett, 28, has been banged up this season but he has managed to play every game to date. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has posted at least 10 sacks every year since 2018, and is currently tied for the team lead this campaign with four. With term left on his contract (one which could very well be extended with the arrival of a raise and new guarantees this offseason), it would be challenging for any contending team to swing a deal.

“I hope not,” Garrett added when asked about hypothetically playing for another team at some point. “I’ve always said I want to play here to the end of my career. I want to win here. I want to bring a championship here, so that doesn’t cross my mind… No one should be worried about the situation with Amari and how that affects them. We’re still here.”

While a trade involving Garrett would be highly surprising, fellow edge rusher Za’Darius Smith could be on the move soon. The 32-year-old is not a pending free agent, but without any guaranteed salary due in 2025 he could be considered a rental by an acquiring team. Smith’s recent remarks made it clear he is open to a trade, and connections have emerged linking him to the Aidan Hutchinson-less Lions. Cabot confirms the Browns are receiving calls on Smith, so a longer list of candidates to add (or perhaps reunite with) him could emerge in the coming days.

Smith shares Cleveland’s team lead in terms of sack production, and he has reached double-digits in that regard three times in his career. With the Browns since the 2023 offseason, he could be on the move relatively soon; that is very unlikely to be the case for Garrett, though.

Ravens Expected To Explore Trade For Pass Rusher

The Lions, who will be without star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for the remainder of the season – unless they advance to the Super Bowl, perhaps – have been connected to some of the top pass rushers thought to be available in advance of this year’s trade deadline. That includes Haason Reddick – before he agreed to a reworked deal with the Jets this morning – and Za’Darius Smith. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the Ravens are another club that will be monitoring the pass rush market.

After leading the league with 60 sacks last season, Baltimore continues to perform at a high level in that regard in 2024, at least in terms of raw numbers. The club’s 19 sacks are currently the sixth-highest total in the NFL, but its overall pass defense has been a major liability. The Ravens are surrendering the second-most passing yards per game, and while a safety or cornerback addition would therefore seem to be a distinct possibility, bolstering the pass rushing corps could have a positive trickle-down effect on the secondary.

Smith profiles as a potential target for the Ravens, just as he is a possible fit for the Lions. Smith, of course, began his career with Baltimore, who made him a fourth-round pick in 2015. He parlayed a successful platform campaign in 2018 into a four-year, $66MM deal with the Packers, and he more than lived up to that contract over his first two years in Green Bay, racking up 26 sacks during that time and earning Pro Bowl honors in both seasons. However, he played in just one game in 2021 and became a cap casualty the following offseason.

In March 2022, the Ravens and Smith reportedly had an agreement to bring Smith back to Baltimore, but Smith backed out of the deal and signed with the Vikings about a week later. Although he earned his third Pro Bowl selection with Minnesota in 2022, he sought a release after that season, and he was eventually traded to the Browns, who also agreed to rework his contract. 

In 2023, his first year in Cleveland, Smith notched just 5.5 sacks, his lowest full-season total since 2017. However, the Browns chose to retain him via a two-year, $23.5MM contract this offseason, and since most of that deal’s value comes in the form of bonuses, his deal would be eminently palatable for an acquiring club. Whether the Ravens would be willing to revisit a reunion after being jilted a little over two years ago is an open question (the fact that Cleveland and Baltimore play in the same division could also complicate matters).

While any speculation connecting Reddick to Baltimore has been put to bed by virtue of Reddick’s decision to end his holdout and report to the Jets, another speculative fit for the Ravens would, like Smith, represent a reunion. Jadeveon Clowney, who enjoyed perhaps the finest year of his career as a member of the Ravens in 2024, signed a two-year, $20MM deal with the Panthers this offseason. With Carolina looking like an obvious seller, Clowney could theoretically be on the block.

Speaking of veteran pass rushers who had previous stints in Charm City, the Ravens recently signed Yannick Ngakoue to their active roster after adding him to the practice squad at the end of September. The well-traveled defender, who has played in two games for Baltimore this year and who picked up a sack in the team’s Week 6 win over Washington, technically could have been elevated from the taxi squad one more time before being added to the 53-man unit. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports, rival teams had begun to show interest in poaching Ngakoue off the p-squad, so Baltimore felt compelled to protect him.

Browns’ Za’Darius Smith Addresses Trade Possibilities, Potential Lions Acquisition

OCTOBER 20: Adding more substance to the Lions-Smith speculation, ESPN’s Adam Schefter hears from league sources that Detroit could indeed be interested in acquiring the accomplished pass rusher prior to the deadline. Cleveland would prefer to retain Smith and his thru-2025 contract, but the club is expected to listen to offers.

OCTOBER 18: The Browns have traded away Amari Cooper, a sign the 1-5 team could continue to sell leading up to the trade deadline. If that proves true, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith could soon be on the move.

The veteran served as a full-time starter last year, his debut campaign in Cleveland. Smith posted only 5.5 sacks – his fewest during a healthy season since 2017 – but he managed to land an extended look with the Browns in the offseason. Team and player agreed to a two-year, $23MM deal in March which prevented him from testing the open market. Things have not gone according to plan in 2024, however.

The Browns’ offense has struggled mightily with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, but the team has also failed to live up to expectations on defense so far. In terms of pass rush production, Cleveland sits 14th in the NFL with 15 sacks; Smith has accounted for three of those while adding four pressures and two tackles for loss. The three-time Pro Bowler’s base salary for this year is just $1.2MM (a prorated portion of which would be taken on by an acquiring team) and none of his base compensation for next year is guaranteed.

“You know what, that’s not my decision. That’s all upstairs,” Smith said when asked about the possibility of a trade (via Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram). “I would rather you ask them to see what that would be… I’m staying positive, but now that you say that, [getting traded] might be a good look, a good feel for me.”

Smith’s 10-year career has seen him suit up for four different teams, including stints with the Packers and Vikings. A deal sending him to the Lions would allow for a return to the NFC North, and it would help fill the void created by Aidan Hutchinson‘s broken leg. No firm links have emerged between Smith and Detroit, but he would apparently welcome the opportunity to finish the season in the Motor City.

“Hate that injury happened to him, a guy that was on his way to get Defensive Player of the Year possibly,” the former fourth-rounder said of Hutchinson. “That’s a big loss for them. But if I was to go to Detroit, I would like it, because I get to play Green Bay twice a year and the Vikings twice a year. So, yeah, that’ll be big.”

The Lions could certainly use help along the edge with both Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport out of the picture. The team has, to no surprise, showed at least some interest in Haason Reddick as his new representation seeks to bring an end to his Jets holdout. Adding Reddick will require some kind of contractual commitment unless he changes his stance and elects to play out the remainder of his existing deal (either in New York or as a member of a new team) and in doing so puts himself on track for free agency.

Other edge rushers could be on the trade market, though, including Smith. Given his remarks, he would certainly welcome a move sending him to the Lions. It will be worth watching closely to see if that sentiment is reciprocated, or if other teams show interest in adding him before the November 5 deadline.

Browns To Re-Sign DE Za’Darius Smith, DT Maurice Hurst

Za’Darius Smith joined the Browns on a one-year agreement last offseason. He will remain in Cleveland moving forward rather than testing the market.

The veteran edge rusher has agreed to a new deal with the Browns, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. The two-year pact has a base value of $23.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Smith can earn up to $25MM on his next contract.

Meanwhile, the Browns have also re-upped defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Hurst will receive up to $3.2MM on his one-year deal.

After compiling at least 10 sacks in his three most-recent healthy seasons, Smith caught on with the Browns for the 2023 campaign. He didn’t put up the same numbers in Cleveland but was still productive, finishing with 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 20 QB hits.

While the counting stats dropped, Pro Football Focus still considered Smith one of the best edge rushers in the league. The 31-year-old finished the season ranked 16th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, with the site only knocking him for the run defense. The Browns were also clearly happy with Smith’s production, as the team can now pencil him into the depth chart for the next two years.

The former fourth-round pick spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Ravens before a three-year stint in Green Bay that saw him earn a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He spent the 2022 campaign in Minnesota.

Hurst also emerged as a dependable defender during his first season in Cleveland. The defensive tackle got into 13 games for the Browns, finishing with 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He didn’t start a game last season but still managed to appear in close to 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.