Vikings Trade Za’Darius Smith to Browns After One Season
The Vikings have traded Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Browns, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Here are the details:
Browns get: Za'Darius Smith, 2025 6th-round pick, 2025 7th-round pick. Vikings get: 2024 5th-round pick, 2025 5th-round pick. Importantly, Minnesota also clears cap space in the move.
This has been a possibility since Smith posted a farewell tweet to the Vikings’ organization in March. After spending one season with Minnesota and recording ten sacks and 78 pressures, the former Packer wanted a new contract. Smith signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Vikings last offseason.
Smith, who made his third career Pro Bowl appearance last season, will get $11.75 million guaranteed next season and will hit free agency next spring. If he has a big year, he’ll be in line to cash in on a multi-year deal somewhere in free agency.
A former Ravens fourth-round pick out of Kentucky in 2015, Smith developed into a star with the Packers. Following a 2021 season in which he missed a big chunk of time due to injury, he joined the Vikings on a three-year deal with a $14M AAV that was below the market rate for star pass rushers. Once Smith proved himself again in Minnesota, he wanted out of his contract.
Smith joins a Browns team that already features superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. Cleveland is banking on that duo and a Deshaun Watson-led offense becoming contenders in the loaded AFC.
The Vikings will move forward with Danielle Hunter — who is an extension candidate — and Marcus Davenport at edge rusher.
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