Tag: Za’Darius Smith

Report: Za’Darius Smith had two other suitors, picked Browns

After the trade that sent Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns was announced, we found out that he had more suitors.

Back in March, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith asked to be released in a tweet. The Minnesota Vikings didn’t respond publically, instead keeping him and even let $5 million in guarantees vest. They finally traded Smith to the Cleveland Browns, but they weren’t the only option.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there were two other suitors for Smith, but he found the opportunity to play opposite of Myles Garrett “appealing.”

When you consider the contract restructure that was done, it remains to be seen whether or not this was the best deal for the Vikings, but they got compensation in return for a player that wasn’t going to play for them next year.

NFC North watch: Vikings trade away Pro Bowl pass rusher

The Vikings traded away a Pro Bowl EDGE for two late-round picks in 2025

In a move that slid under the national radar on Friday night, the Minnesota Vikings quietly traded away one of their best defensive players for relative pennies on the dollar in return.

The Vikings dealt Pro Bowl EDGE Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for draft pick swaps in 2024 and 2025. The Browns gave up a fifth-round pick each year in exchange for Smith, a 6th-round pick and a seventh-rounder in 2025.

The deal removes Smith and his 10 sacks from a Vikings defense that struggled to rush the passer consistently in 2022. Smith, 30, was due $9.45 million in salary in 2023 and another $14.45 million in 2024, figures the Vikings would have really struggled to afford. The veteran had earlier asked for either a trade or a release.

Minnesota signed Marcus Davenport from the Saints in the offseason to a big free agent deal to help bolster a pass rush that was almost exclusively Smith and Danielle Hunter (10.5 sacks) for Minnesota last year. Smith has 36 sacks in his last three full seasons, missing all but one game of the 2021 season with injury. He played for the Packers in 2019-2021.

Report: Vikings retain part of Za’Darius Smith’s salary

Wording from Ian Rapoport’s tweet of a reworked contract smelled fishy, and it came to fruition as the Vikings retained part of his salary.

On Friday evening, the Minnesota Vikings traded outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns in a pick swap. The Vikings sent 2025 sixth and seventh-round picks to the Browns in exchange for fifth-round picks in 2024 and 2025.

Mere hours later, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported that the Vikings retained some of Smith’s salary. This was something I alluded to in an earlier piece when the trade was announced, as the tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport alluded to a reworked contract to make the move happen.

The wording signaled that the Vikings retained some of Smith’s salary, as it was just vague enough to allude to something of the sort.

How much did the Vikings end up taking on? That remains to be seen, but it’s likely substantial. The Browns entered the day with only $7.1 million in cap space per Over The Cap and the Vikings were set to pay Smith $5 million guaranteed after that amount vested five days into the new league year.

Overall, it’s a disappointment that the Vikings absorbed any salary considering the rather poor return they got back from the Browns. Although, upgrading sixth and seventh-round picks is still better than nothing at all.

Vikings – Browns trade grades: Who won the deal for Za’Darius Smith?

Cleveland adds a major pass rusher in Za’Darius Smith. Did Minnesota get enough in return?

The Cleveland Browns have landed a major piece for their defense post-2023 NFL Draft.

On Friday evening, the Minnesota Vikings traded outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to Cleveland in exchange for draft picks.

The former Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers pass rusher posted up 10 sacks for the Vikings last season and has posted up double-digit sacks three out of the last four seasons. He missed most all of 2021 with injury.

Smith reportedly wanted out of Minnesota as early as March, but the Vikings didn’t want to release him and opted instead to trade the veteran rusher to the AFC.

In Cleveland, he’ll pair with elite defensive end Myles Garrett for at least a year to form a lethal pass-rushing duo.

Who came out on top in this trade, Cleveland or Minnesota?

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Twitter reacts to the Vikings trading Za’Darius Smith

Opinions are all over the place after the Minnesota Vikings traded Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns.

The Minnesota Vikings made a significant transaction on Friday evening.

The Vikings traded edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns for two fifth-round selections, according to Ian Rapaport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

The trade comes just one year after the Vikings signed Smith, 30, to a three-year, $42 million in free agency. In one season with the Vikings, Smith totaled ten sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

Following the significant news, fans and analysts took to Twitter to react to the trade.

Vikings trade OLB Za’Darius Smith to Browns

After asking to be released back in March, Za’Darius Smith gets his wish and has been moved by the Minnesota Vikings.

After holding firm when outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith asked to be released before free agency, he gets his with to move on from the Minnesota Vikings.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings have traded Smith to the Cleveland Browns for draft capital. He also gets a re-worked contract with $11.75 million guaranteed in 2023 while getting to hit the free agent market in 2024.

Shortly after the trade was announced, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero announced the trade terms and the Vikings don’t fare too well. They send Smith, a and sixth and seventh-round picks in 2025 for a 2024 fifth-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick. The Rich Hill trade chart values the move as a very low fourth-round pick, which is somewhat acceptable capital.

What will be fascinating is how much the Vikings save on the salary cap. A trade can net the Vikings $12.16 million in cap space. Smith getting a re-worked contract could mean the Vikings are taking on some of that money. We won’t know for sure until those details come out.

Vikings edge rushers named best group in NFL

According to ESPN’s Mike Clay, the Minnesota Vikings have the best edge group in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings defense ranked 31st in the NFL last year and it wasn’t due to talent. How the scheme was implemented was the issue and they corrected that with the hire of Brian Flores.

ESPN’s Mike Clay puts together lists of the best position groups in the NFL and he ranked the Vikings edge rushers at the top of the league, just ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.

The trio of Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport and Za’Darius Smith is a diverse trio that Flores can line up in a myriad of ways to attack the quarterback. Put them inside, standing up, three-point stance, you name it, they can do it.

The Vikings could end up losing Smith this offseason, as he tweeted his goodbyes to the team and Minnesota back in March. The expectation is that a resolution of some sort will be coming soon.

Make no mistake, this edge group as it is currently formed will wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

4 Vikings that could lose their starting job in 2023

After an eventful offseason so far, @TheKevinFielder highlights 4 Minnesota Vikings who could lose their starting jobs this season.

As the Minnesota Vikings begin their transition, multiple players could see their starting spot in jeopardy.

Although the Vikings were quiet in free agency, they did make a few signings that could push incumbent starters out of their spot on the depth chart. The Vikings also drafted six players, including two players in the secondary.

Ultimately, the Vikings’ depth chart can best be described as uncertain because of multiple open position battles that will take place.

Here are four Minnesota Vikings who could lose their starting spot during the 2023 season.

5 Vikings that could be traded before week one

The Minnesota Vikings have made 5 player trades in the last year. Who could be the next player involved in a trade?

The offseason program is in full swing with the 2023 NFL draft in the rearview mirror. Players were on the practice field for the first time since the Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs.

With all of the new talent coming into the fold, some of the veterans on the roster might be viewed as expendable. That could be for talent, playtime or financial reasons. Offseason and training camp trades happen, especially with the Vikings. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made five player trades since he took over in January of 2022.

Who could be on the move before week one begins? Here are five Vikings that could be traded.

Report: Vikings listening to offers on Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith

With the Vikings listening to offers on Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith, it’s likely for 2024 NFL Draft capital.

The buzz all off-season has been on the Minnesota Vikings potentially shopping two key players: running back Dalvin Cook and edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.

While Day 3 of the NFL Draft seemed like a likely time for them to be moved, Albert Breer of The MMQB reports that significant hurdles are preventing such a move from occurring.

According to Breer, the Vikings are listening to offers on Cook and Smith, but both would require contract adjustments before being traded. The problem is that adjusted contracts have to “sit a day before they’re traded.”

As a result, the Vikings would not be able to get any 2023 draft picks and would have to receive 2024 selections in any trade.

The Vikings are currently $1 million under the cap ceiling, meaning there’s little room to work with. This also means that the Vikings will have to make a move to sign their draft class and have some cap space for the regular season.

That situation has made Cook or Smith a likely trade target because both can be moved with a limited amount of dead cap on the contract.