Cleveland Browns DE Za’Darius Smith celebrates a sack.
After losing 45-14 to the Houston Texans in their NFL playoff opener, the Cleveland Browns are now in offseason mode.
And Andrew Berry, senior vice president of football operations and general manager, certainly did what he had to do.
Not only do the Browns face serious salary cap issues, but they also have 26 free agents, one of the most notable names being three-time Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith, who was suddenly acquired by Cleveland last May.
Minnesota Vikings trade. Despite not reporting past numbers, Smith could still make quite a bit of money in free agency, and the Browns may not be able to pay for his services due to financial difficulties.
If the Browns decide not to bring back Smith ahead of Myles Garrett, Pro Football Focus believes the Atlanta Falcons should pursue the 31-year-old.
The Falcons have struggled to release much of the pressure in 2023, and while they’ll be encouraged by Arnold Ebiketi’s progress in his second NFL season, the veteran’s presence would be a reasonable addition.
Smith has posted a PFF grade of 84.0 or higher with at least 100 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons.
The Falcons haven’t had a dominant quarterback since John Abraham left town after the 2013 season, so it might be worth signing Smith to a short-term deal.
And Atlanta is in a much better position to land him than Cleveland.
Falcons are paid much more than Brownies.Before the 2024 NFL season, Spotrac projects the Browns will be $13.86 million over the salary cap.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is obviously the biggest factor here.
That’s because his cap hit for the 2024 season is $63.97 million, the most in league history.
But he’s certainly not the only high-paid player in Cleveland, as Amari Cooper, Denzel Ward and Myles Garrett earned a combined $67.39 million.
Berry will likely restructure Watson’s contract in his second season to free up cap space, but there may not be room for Za’Darius Smith, who played last season on a one-year/11 deal, 71 million dollars.
Spotrac, on the other hand, projects the Falcons to have $29.88 million in cap space, a number that could increase even more after Atlanta makes some cuts.
That way, they’ll be in a much better position if they choose to pursue Smith.
Za’Darius Smith still has a lot left in the tank.After his lone season with the Vikings, where he recorded 44 tackles, 10 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble, Smith’s stats are less impressive with the Browns in 2023: 27 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three passes defensed. . , 1 forced hit.
However, a decrease in simple indicators does not mean that there is no effect. For example, Smith recorded 29 QB pressures, which ranks 27th among all NFL defensive players.
Overall, his presence on the Browns line forced the team to focus more on single pass rushers and opened up more opportunities for Garrett.
Za’Darius Smith’s 2023 Regular Season (age 9): 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5.5 QB hits, 20 QB hits, 3 defenses, forced fumble in 16 games (Cleveland Season 1)
Now, that same presence may not be as important to the Falcons, who don’t have a quarterback of Garrett’s caliber.
Perhaps Smith will strive to be a defensive lineman, even assuming Jarrett recovers from his career-ending ACL injury.
Even if he has to compete for that title with two-time Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett. . Season after 8 weeks.
But as PFF points out, if nothing else, adding a smart veteran could help Atlanta’s locker room, especially one that still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Za’Darius Smith is sure to get a solid check in the 2024 season. But will they come from the Browns, Falcons or someone else? We will find out soon.
