According to Ian Rapoport, the Ravens and OLB Za’Darius Smith‘s contract agreement fell through.
The veteran had reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth $35 million with the potential to reach more than $50 million. Instead, Smith remains a free agent and one of the hotter pass rushers on the market available.
It’s not clear why things fell through but it’s possible Smith realized he could get more, even if it meant turning down a chance to return to Baltimore.
It’s worth mentioning that signing him to a contract won’t impact a team’s 2023 compensatory picks, given that he was released this offseason.
Smith, 29, 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.
In 2021, Smith was limited to appearing in one game for the Packers and recording one tackle and no sacks.
We have him included in our Top 100 – Available 2022 Free Agents list.
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