The move to add defensive end Za’Darius Smith last offseason seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it was a great move in the end. Opposite Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, Smith was able to create massive issues for quarterbacks with a total of 60 quarterback pressures in 2023.
Though he will likely command a decent salary number finding a way to bring him back in 2024 should be towards the top of the priority board for Andrew Berry. Though he didn’t have the sack numbers he had hoped he took a ton of pressure off Myles Garrett and it helped him be even more of an impactful player.
Smith found a way to make impactful plays in some of the biggest moments this year and it helped the team keep Garrett fresh combined with the rest of the defensive end room. It sounds like the team might be set to meet with Smith at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
The veteran will likely not come cheap but for a consistent disruptive player to pair with Garrett the price tag is worth it. General manager Andrew Berry is a wizard with the salary cap so that shouldn’t be an issue for the Browns.
