TRADE: Vikings Trade OLB Za’Darius Smith To Browns

The Cleveland Browns have traded for Vikings veteran OLB Za’Darius Smith on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport.  

Za'Darius Smith

Here’s the full breakdown of the trade agreement:

Browns receive:

  • LB Za’Darius Smith
  • 2025 6th round pick
  • 2025 7th round pick 

Vikings receive:

  • 2024 5th round pick
  • 2025 5th round pick

Smith agreed to rework his contract as part of the trade and he gets $11.75 million guaranteed in 2023 and will become a free agent next year.

Smith requested a trade out of Minnesota earlier this offseason and reports leading up to the draft mentioned that he was name to keep an eye on to get moved. 

According to OverTheCap.com, trading Smith would free up $12,156,861 of available cap space while creating $3,333,334 million in dead money. 

Smith, 30, 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. 

In 2022, Smith appeared in 16 games for the Vikings and recorded 44 tackles, 10 sacks, a forced fumble and five pass defenses.

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