Cleveland Browns’ first move of free agency is to bring back one of their own.
Sticking around in Cleveland is DE Za’Darius Smith, who started 16 games for the Browns last year opposite Myles Garrett.
It is set to be a two-year deal for Smith for $23.5 million and it is worth up to $25 million for the veteran pass rusher.
Smith had 5.5 sacks last season but a whopping 60 pressures show just how effective he was for the Cleveland defensive line. The success of the Browns’ defense starts in the trenches and players like Smith make a ton of sense to keep around.
Last year, the Browns traded a late-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the rights to Smith. Now, he’s set to be Cleveland’s starter for the next couple of seasons opposite of the Defensive Player of the Year.
Cleveland will have other moves to make perhaps at running back and linebacker to name a couple of positions. You can keep up to date with all of the moves here.
At 31 years old, Smith still has some good ball to put out there on the field. Bringing him back should be well received because he was a nice locker-room presence too.
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