The Thing That Drew Za'Darius Smith Back To Cleveland Browns

Veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith is back in the fold with Cleveland as he believes the Browns have unfinished business.

Za'Darius Smith meets with the media following Day 2 of OTAs / Spencer German

It's rare that Cleveland is considered a destination for NFL players. But as veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith mulled over several opportunities as a free agent this offseason, something kept pulling him back to the Browns.

“The culture, the chemistry with this team, man, everything," Smith said of the organization. "The brotherhood, man, the team camaraderie. I had a chance to go other places, but I felt like I didn’t want that, man. I felt like we didn’t get to where we wanted to last year, man. And we got something that we need to finish here. Hopefully we can get that done this year."

Za'Darius Smith said he had some conversations with other teams but he wanted to come back to Cleveland because he sees something in this #Brownd team.

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) May 22, 2024

Unfinished business has already been a common theme echoed throughout the Browns locker room this spring. It's the reason Smith, as he eluded to, re-signed with the franchise that traded for him last May, for two years, $23 million.

In back-to-back offseasons Cleveland made it know that they wanted Smith to be part of what they're building. It helped that in 2023, despite his numbers taking a dip overall, the nine-year veteran became a vocal leader inside the team facility. He believes he can have a similar impact this year, but also takes confidence in knowing the franchise brass still believes in his on the field abilities as well.

“For one, I’m not a sorry football player," said Smith. "And for two, I’ve been a lot of places, man, and made a name for myself. Being wanted, I’m not gonna say that is a thing, but for me to come back – I had other options to go to Miami (Dolphins), Washington (Commanders). I could have went anywhere, but I wanted to come back here."

It might not make a lot of sense to people unfamiliar with the culture being built in Berea, Ohio, but to those who have been around it, returning to Cleveland makes all the sense in the world.

"I see something in this team that a lot of people just don’t see, man, for being in the locker room, and I was talking about the team camaraderie," Smith explained. "If we keep that close and keep the togetherness, man, we can go far this year, hopefully.”

Smith's first season with the Browns was certainly a memorable on for the franchise. Gutted by more than a dozen season ending injuries, Cleveland scratched and clawed its way into a wild card spot armed with renaissance version of veteran QB Joe Flacco and the No. 1 defense in football.

In the end the injuries wound up being too much to overcome in a wild card matchup with the upstart Houston Texans. The Browns are hopeful that with so many players returning from last year and a little more health luck – particularly with quarterback Deshaun Watson – that the 2024 season can be even more memorable.

As expected, Deshaun Watson looks on while Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley handle most of the throwing on day 2 of #Browns OTAs pic.twitter.com/3KYYmd6222

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) May 22, 2024

On a personal level, Smith has similar expectations for himself. After posting a 5.5 sack season last year, Smith is looking to provide an even bigger boost for the Browns defense opposite of Myles Garrett in 2024. At 31, he's hoping a new look helps those efforts as well, shedding his iconic dreadlocks for a hairstyle that his teammates suggested gives him a youthfulness.

“Just woke up one morning, man, and thought I was ready for a change," Smith said. "I said that now that I’m 30, you know, I want to go with a new look. I’ve been talking to my parents, you know, my mom and my kids, and they were like agreeing with me, so I’m glad I did it. I look better, look younger, look slimmer, so I’m happy about it for sure."

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