Cleveland Browns are showing real interest in bringing a familiar veteran back on a free agent deal
The Browns clearly want to add to their defense ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Cleveland’s latest move has them connected to a veteran player who previously spent part of two years with the team.
The Cleveland Browns continue to make it clear they are not content with their current defensive line depth. Cleveland has been actively searching for pass rush help this offseason, and the latest move connects them to a familiar face.
According to Thursday’s NFL Transaction Wire, the Browns hosted free agent edge rusher Za’Darius Smith for a tryout.
Smith played with the Browns in 2023 and nine games in 2024 before they traded him to the Detroit Lions. He spent the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Eagles but opted to retire five games into the season when he had 1.5 sacks.
Za’Darius Smith back to the Browns could happen
The soon-to-be 34-year-old carries 11 years of NFL experience and 70.5 career sacks. Smith has three double-digit sack seasons on his resume, though he hasn’t reached that mark since 2022 when he earned his third Pro Bowl selection with the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2023 with the Browns, Smith had 5.5 sacks in 16 games. In 2024, he totaled nine sacks between his time with Cleveland and Detroit. Smith is a depth pass rusher at this point in his career, and that’s exactly what the Browns need.
Cleveland previously had interest in bringing in Jadeveon Clowney on a free agent deal, but the veteran signed with the Houston Texans instead. The Browns are clearly comfortable adding a veteran at the position, and the Clowney pursuit proved as much.
Why Za’Darius Smith makes sense for the Browns’ defensive line depth
The Browns are most likely to start Alex Wright opposite Jared Verse, and Isaiah McGuire is their only somewhat proven pass rusher beyond those two. Adding Smith would raise the floor of the room overall and stop Cleveland from having to keep more than one undrafted free agent at the position.
Smith is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound pass rusher who can operate from multiple points along the defensive line. While he doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline of the current team due to age, the Browns have shown they’re fine with that tradeoff for proven production. Following the tryout, it remains to be seen if the two sides can come to a deal during training camp and get Smith on the roster this preseason.
