Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Browns are expected to trade veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Lions by tonight or tomorrow. At this time, he is still on the field for the team in their game against the Chargers.
This news does not come as a surprise given that Detroit was looking to trade for a pass rusher and the Browns have been seeking a solid day three pick in exchange for the veteran who has five sacks in eight games this season.
Smith, 32, is a former fourth-round pick of the Ravens back in 2015. He played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract before agreeing to a four-year, $66 million contract with the Packers in 2019.
Smith had one year remaining on his contract and was set to make a base salary of $14,500,000 for the 2021 season when the Packers released him.
The Ravens reached an agreement with Smith on a four-year deal worth $35 million, but he opted to back out of the deal and sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Vikings. From there, the Vikings traded Smith to the Browns and he agreed to a two-year, $23.5 million contract with Cleveland this past March.
In 2024, Smith has appeared in eight games for the Browns and recorded 22 total tackles and five sacks.
We’ll have more on Smith ahead of the trade deadline as the news is available.
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