The Cleveland Browns are trying to bring back as much of their top-rated 2023 defense as possible for the upcoming season.
There aren’t a great number of starters or meaningful contributors assured to become free agents in March, though one player who is certain to hit the open market is defensive end Za’Darius Smith.
Cleveland traded a couple of fifth-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings to bring the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher into the fold ahead of last season and reworked his contract to pay him just shy of $12 million on a one-year deal. The Browns also received a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round selection in 2025 from the Vikings in the agreement.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has reported that the Browns will make it a priority to re-sign the defensive end this offseason ahead of his age-32 season, citing general manager Andrew Berry.
“Berry made it clear that the Browns would love to re-sign Smith, who’s set to test the free agent waters beginning March 11, a league source told Cleveland.com,” Cabot wrote on Tuesday, February 27.
Berry spoke with reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that same day.
“He fit really well. Really pleased with his production,” Berry said of Smith. “He was awesome in the room. We really loved having him around.”
Za’Darius Smith Generated Consistent Pressure for Browns Alongside Myles Garrett in 2023
Smith’s traditional counting statistics didn’t live up to the Pro-Bowl standard he set in 2019, 2020 and 2022, when he produced an average of 12 sacks per season. However, he was still borderline elite last season when it came to applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited Smith with 6 sacks on the year. But more importantly, the defensive end tallied 60 pressures and 14 QB hits across 387 pass rush snaps in 2023. Smith’s consistent ability to disrupt opposing pockets led to PFF ranking him 16th out of 112 edge defenders who saw enough snaps to qualify last season.
Playing across from Myles Garrett — who PFF ranked 1st among all edge players in 2023 and who won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award — certainly helped Smith accumulate those numbers, as Garrett drew more double-teams than almost any pass rusher in football last season.
If Smith’s ultimate goals are winning and continuing to produce as part of a great defense, then there are few spots in the league that can compete with Cleveland. However, he will also certainly be seeking lucrative compensation on what is likely to be his last chance at a big contract. As such, the kind of space the Browns can clear for Smith/what they believe his value to be moving into his mid-30s will likely dictate whether or not the DE is back in orange and brown in 2024 and beyond.
Spotrac projects Smith’s market value at $12.4 million annually over a new two-year contract, or roughly $25 million total.
Browns Will Prioritize Edge in Free Agency if They’re Unable to Bring Back Za’Darius Smith
Cabot reported Tuesday that even if Cleveland can’t reunite Smith and Garrett on the defensive front, the franchise will prioritize the position in free agency.
“If the Browns and Smith can’t reach an agreement — and they’re expected to be strong contenders to keep him — they’ll turn their attention to some of the other excellent defensive linemen expected to hit the market,” Cabot wrote.
Who Cleveland might pursue will again depend on how much money Berry and company decide to spend on the position. Elite options such Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Danielle Hunter of the Vikings are likely to come available a couple of weeks from now, but their salary asks may price the Browns out.
Other, more affordable, edge defenders who Cleveland might consider include Chase Young of the San Francisco 49ers or Andrew Van Ginkel of the Miami Dolphins.
