The Green Bay Packers had to beat two of the teams with the most salary cap space to sign outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith.
Za’Darius Smith revealed on the “Rapsheet and Friends” podcast that the Packers and New York Jets were bidding back and forth for his services, with the Packers eventually winning the battle with a four-year, $66 million deal.
Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst reported the Packers outbid the Indianapolis Colts for Preston Smith, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal in Green Bay.
The new information helps explain how the final numbers on the two contracts got so high. The Jets and Colts came into free agency among the top five teams in salary cap space.
Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith were two of the top pass-rushers to make it to the open market. Not surprisingly, the Packers had to pay big money – and fend off others – to sign the pair. That’s just the cost of doing business in free agency, where the supply of good players rarely meets the demand, driving up prices among teams with money to spend.
The Packers believe the two additions will jumpstart a flatlining edge pass rush. Preston Smith is a full-time, every-down outside linebacker in the 3-4, while Za’Darius Smith can play on the edge and slide inside and rush the passer on passing downs.
