The Minnesota Vikings are trading linebacker Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings are sending Smith plus 6th and 7th round picks in the 2025 draft, getting back 5th round picks in both 2024 and 2025.
The full trade, per league source:#Browns get:
Za'Darius Smith
2025 6th-round pick
2025 7th-roundpick#Vikings get:
2024 5th-round pick
2025 5th-round pick https://t.co/outlkV71ME— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 12, 2023
By trading Za’Darius Smith the Vikings take a $3.3 million dead cap hit but more importantly clear $12.1 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.
Smith had 10 sacks with the Vikings in 2022, but 9.5 of them came in the first nine games of the season while he recorded just half a sack in the final eight games of 2022.
The 30-year old linebacker was released by the Packers last offseason after playing just one game in 2021 due to a back injury.
Smith was previously under contract with the Vikings thru 2024 with a $9.4m salary & only $5m guaranteed in 2023.
Now? $11.75m fully guaranteed money in 2023. https://t.co/RMDIFybHw2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 12, 2023
This is a developing story.
