The Cleveland Browns made a Friday night transaction to strengthen the team’s defensive depth chart.
Browns trading for LB Za'Darius Smith. (via @RapSheet + @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/N0GBzRMuGE
— NFL (@NFL) May 12, 2023
30-year-old Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith comes to Cleveland via Minnesota.
He had a great 2022 season for the Vikings, recording 10 quarterback sacks, 32 solo tackles, and 24 quarterback hits.
#Browns receive DE Za’Darius Smith and 2025 6th and 7th round picks; #Vikings receive 2024 5th and 2025 5th
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 12, 2023
It has become an annual event to find adequate defensive end support to line up opposite Pro Bowler Myles Garrett.
Time will tell if Smith is the winning choice that will have longevity with the team; his contract is for the 2023 season only.
Consider the past players that Cleveland has either signed or traded for this position in recent years that are no longer on the roster.
1. Takkarist McKinney
Takk McKinley, 27, was signed to a one-year deal in 2021.
The 2017 first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons played 11 games for the Browns before tearing his Achilles at the end of the 2021 season.
#Browns pass-rusher Takk McKinley is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles, source said. He’ll have an MRI in the morning to determine if that is the case.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 21, 2021
He was not re-signed by the Browns in 2022.
McKinley had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams before landing on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad where he reunited with his former Falcons head coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
He was re-signed by the Cowboys for 2023.
2. Jadeveon Clowney
30-year-old Jadeveon Clowney spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Browns under two separate one-year contracts.
It seemed like a match made in heaven for Clowney to resurrect his career, and he appeared to have a good relationship with Myles Garrett.
All of that went by the wayside at the end of 2022 when Clowney gave a no-holds-barred interview with Cleveland beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot where he criticized how he was used and the team’s prioritization of making Garrett the star.
#Browns Myles Garrett on Jadeveon Clowney's comments that he got favorable matchups despite Garrett being double-teamed at one of the highest rates.
"It's a little confusing but we could have had clarity if he had just talked to us." pic.twitter.com/csdVj1CNv3
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 6, 2023
Clowney is a free agent thus far in 2023.
3. Chase Winovich
28-year-old Chase Winovich was acquired by the Browns in a 2022 trade with the New England Patriots.
He spent one season with the Browns before hitting free agency and ultimately signing with the Houston Texans.
Conclusion
The difference between Smith and his predecessors is that they worked under the Browns’ previous defensive coordinator, Joe Woods.
Woods is now with the Saints after being fired by the Browns at the end of the 2022 season.
Super Bowl Champion Jim Schwartz is the new Browns DC, and he is expected to manage this talented defense and have them play up to their potential, a feat that Woods never achieved.
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