Philadelphia Eagles: Could Za’Darius Smith swap cheeseheads for whiz wit?

Welp, with the combine officially over, the Philadelphia Eagles and the rest of the league can turn their attention to the most fast-paced portion of the NFL’s calendar year: Free agency. Which players would each team like to sign, how much money does each front office have to work with, and if possible, how can they free up just a little bit more to make the sort of signing that could make a difference come January of 2023?

For the Green Bay Packers, who are currently $27.85 million over the cap according to Spotrac, that calculus included releasing veteran rusher Za’Darius Smith, who is just one season removed from back-to-back double-digit sack seasons.

Wow.

So naturally, with Derek Barnett set to hit the open market himself, Brandon Graham coming off of a torn Achilles, and Milton Williams surely not ready to become a full-time starter at defensive end just yet, the Philadelphia Eagles should be interested in Za’Darius Smith‘s services, right? If the price is right, you’d better believe it.

Za’Darius Smith is built for the Philadelphia Eagles’ 4-3 defense.

Throughout his NFL career, Za’Darius Smith has exclusively played outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

He spent four seasons in Baltimore, where he played off of Elvis Dumervil, Terrell Suggs, and Matt Judon for the defenses of Dean Pees and Don “Wink” Martindale. Despite a largely successful tenure in the Charm City, amassing 18.5 sacks in 56 games with 16 starts, Smith was ultimately allowed to test free agency in favor of signing Mark Ingram and Earl Thomas in free agency.

Now the proud owner of a four-year, $66 million contract, Smith made his way from Crabtown to the home of the Wisconsin Cheeseheads and immediately made an impact in Green Bay Packers dark green and gold, recording 13.5 sacks in 2019 and 12.5 in 2020. Paired up with fellow Smith, ex-Washington rusher Preston Smith, Za’Darius’ ability to take down opposing quarterbacks was second-to-none… or should I say fourth-to-none, as only three other players, Chandler Jones, Shaq Barrett, and T.J. Watt, had more sacks over that two-year tenure.

Had Smith been healthy for the entirety of the 2021 NFL season, it probably would have marked his third-straight season of double-digit sacks and trips to the Pro Bowl, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be. The pride of Kentucky suffered a back injury that kept him out of all but one game and ultimately resulted in a season-ending surgery on September 27th, 2021.

And now? Well, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the Packers are expected to move on from Smith and his $27.6 million cap hit to take $15.2 million off the books.

A tough call? For Green Bay, surely, but after playing very well for the Packers in his last two seasons of regular action, something tells me he won’t be unemployed for very long, as a team like the Philadelphia Eagles could swoop in and make a move for the soon-to-be-former Packer.

Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 273 pounds, Smith has always been one of the bigger 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL. While he has been able to make it work and drop into coverage from time to time, Smith has the ideal physical build to play 4-3 defensive end, where he has less zone coverage responsibilities and more leeway to attack the backfield. He has the size to set a hard edge versus the run, the speed to take on bigger right tackles, and the impressive collection of power moves to get around – or through – left tackles on his way to the quarterback. Jim Schwartz would have loved Smith’s ability to collapse the pocket, and while his predecessor, Jonathan Gannon, isn’t as “green light go” when it comes to attacking the backfield, he’d surely appreciate having a rusher like Smith, who matches up very well to rushers like Everson Griffen and Justin Houston, who he was around in Minnesota and Indianapolis.

Factor in his experience dripping into coverage, which he didn’t do all too often in Green Bay/Indianapolis but did do nonetheless, and the idea of Gannon using Smith like he probably envisioned Ryan Kerrigan before seeing just how little the former Pro Bowler had in the tanks is intriguing, to say the least.

Assuming his back is fully healed, at 29, Smith has plenty of gas left in the tank.

Should the Philadelphia Eagles pursue a defensive end in free agency? Yes. While the position is one of the most expensive in the NFL, it’s also one of the hardest to develop, as the team’s recent track record clearly shows. While they may opt against securing a player like Temple’s Haason Reddick, who will almost surely command a King’s ransom, signing a player like Za’Darius Smith to a one-year, prove-it deal, even at an incentive-laden eight-figure price tag could set the team up for success both in 2022 and beyond.