Can The Browns Afford To Bring Back DE Za'Darius Smith?

Za'Darius Smith headlines a long list of Browns free agents this offseason, but whether or not they can afford to bring back the veteran pass rusher remains to be seen

As Browns general manager Andrew Berry stated in his end of the season press conference on Monday, "the only constant in the NFL is change." 

Cleveland faces plenty of that this offseason with a laundry list of free agents to be and numerous other decisions looming large in the months ahead. It's nothing new for Berry, but the decisions that await him will be key in setting the tone for the 2024 season.

At this time last year, the top of Berry's priority consisted of completely remaking the Browns defensive line. He pulled it off with additions like DT Dalvin Tomlinson, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo and DE Za'Darius Smith, among others. The latter of those however, is now scheduled to enter free agency and with a hefty salary cap bill to navigate, there's no guarantee Smith is back with Cleveland next season.

Smith finds himself near the top of a free agent class of edge rushers that's headline with by his former Vikings teammate Danielle Hunter, currently coming off a 16.5 sack season. Some other names near the top of that group include the Broncos, Randy Gregory, the Giants, Leonard Williams and the 49ers, Chase Young, who is in the final year of his rookie contract after having his fifth-year option declined by Washington.

Believe it or not, Smith and Chase had fairly comparable seasons in 2023, with Smith compiling 5.5 sacks, 27 tackles, eight for a loss, 20 QB hits and a total of 29 pressures. Young actually came in below Smith in all those categories except sacks, where he finished with two more than Smith. Now, the biggest thing Young has going for him is that he's seven year's younger than Smith, who is obviously on the wrong side of 30.

According to Spotrac, Young's market value is considered $13.6 million per year. Going into his age 32 season, Smith probably shouldn't expect to reach that. Despite the reduced sack numbers though, Smith proved he can still be an effective player, particularly playing opposite of Myles Garrett. That alone should still net him a double-digit AAV this offseason.

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Looking back over the last four seasons – including a 2021 campaign where Smith played just one game due to a back injury – Smith has racked up 105 pressures and 28 sacks. Those numbers put him in line with fellow edge rushers like Hunter, the Titans', Harold Landry and another former Viking in Yannick Ngakoue. 

That trio consists of players all still slightly under the age of 30, but that's some beneficial company for Smith to be associated with as he heads to the negotiating table. All three players also make over $10 million a year on average, with Landry and Hunter actually boasting an AAV of $17 million. What happens with fellow free agent to be Gregory, who is a year older than Smith, could be pretty telling as to what Smith could net on the open market as well.

The question here is what all this means for the Browns, though? Could Smith beback in Cleveland next season? First things first, Berry will have to move some money around – most notably with Deshaun Watson's albatross of a contract – to create some cap space. At the moment, the Browns are slated to be more than $20 million over the allotted salary cap once the rule of 51 takes effect.

One thing Berry has shown is that he's okay taking a flier on veteran edge rushers to pair with Garrett. It's why he brought back Jadeveon Clowney on a one-year, $11 million deal in 2022. That may provide a glimpse into what the budget is for the role. Smith was on the books for $10.5 million this past season in what was the last year of a contract he had signed with the Vikings.

Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) attempts to tackle Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (18) during the game at NRG Stadium / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Another thing to consider is the Browns culture, which seemed to be a great fit for Smith this fall. He fit right in and that could be a wild card factor that lures him back to Cleveland, maybe even at a rate that benefits the team. It's certainly a bonus to like where you play.

That said, Berry has other free agents to consider and other areas of the roster to bolster. That may leave him looking elsewhere for a player to play Robin to Garrett's Batman. Bottom line, don't get too attached to Smith.