Vikings trading former Alabama prep standout to Browns

Vikings trading former Alabama prep standout to Browns

Greenville High School alumnus Za’Darius Smith will join Myles Garrett to provide the pass rush for the Cleveland Browns in the 2023 NFL season after getting his wish to leave the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings are trading the outside linebacker and sixth- and seventh-round draft picks in 2025 to the Browns for fifth-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts, NFL Network reported on Friday night.

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In the 2022 season, Smith had 44 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 24 quarterbacks hits, five pass breakups and one forced fumble in 16 regular-season games. Smith received Pro Bowl recognition for the third time in four seasons.

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While Garrett had 16 sacks in 2022, no other player had more than three for Cleveland last season.

Smith has 54.5 sacks in 107 regular-season games during his career.

Smith had signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Minnesota last offseason, but he had asked the Vikings to release him this offseason.

NFL Network reported the Browns also reworked Smith’s contract. He’ll be paid $11.75 million for the 2023 season and be eligible for free agency after the season.

A basketball player at Greenville High School, Smith played football for the Tigers during his senior year. That led him to East Mississippi Community College, and he completed his college career with two seasons at Kentucky.

A fourth-round choice of Baltimore in the 2015 NFL Draft, Smith played four seasons with the Ravens before joining the Green Bay Packers in free agency for a four-year, $66 million contract.

Smith earned Pro Bowl recognition with the Packers in the 2019 and 2020 seasons as he totaled 26 sacks, 29 tackles for loss and 60 quarterback hits.

But in the first game of the 2021 season, Smith aggravated a back injury. He needed surgery to repair the problem and didn’t play again until he produced a sack on his first snap in Green Bay’s 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs.

The Packers released Smith on March 14, 2022, with one season left on his contract, and the Vikings signed him nine days later.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.