The league year and free agency haven’t actually started yet, but the Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of a mass exodus of players. Gone are safety Eric Weddle, linebackers C.J. Mosley and Terrell Suggs. It appears linebacker Za’Darius Smith is set to follow them by agreeing to a deal with the Green Bay Packers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
While Smith wasn’t a starter for Baltimore’s top-ranked defense last season, he was a key rotational player who was one of the most productive pass rushers on the roster.
The terms of the deal are not known yet. But given the contracts being handed out early in the NFL’s legal tampering period, it’s likely to be a gaudy deal for a player who has produced for only one season.
Smith played in all 16 games (eight starts) in 2018. He amassed 8.5 sacks in his limited playing time, along with 45 combined tackles. That nearly matches his production from the previous three years combined — 10 sacks and 74 combined tackles from 2015-2017.
Smith will have to fight against the trend of former Baltimore pass rushers who have gotten big deals in free agency but failed to put up the same production with their new teams.
