Green Bay Packers Cut ’em or Keep ’em & Prediction: Za’Darius Smith
By Paul Bretl
Why the Green Bay Packers would cut Za’Darius Smith
2022 cap savings: $15.28 million
For the very cap-strapped Green Bay Packers, the second-biggest salary cap saving move that they can make this offseason is releasing Za’Darius Smith–you know what the first is. Having that $15.28 million freed up will give Green Bay some added flexibility–think of who they could potentially re-sign or not have to cut with those savings.
As good as Smith was in 2019 and 2020, this past season the Packers were able to absorb his absence with the emergence of Rashan Gary and the resurgence of Preston Smith.
The duo was two of the more productive edge rushers in football, with Gary finishing second in total pressures and P. Smith finishing tied for 10th. Led by Gary and P. Smith, with some help from Kenny Clark, of course, Green Bay was one of the best teams in football at creating pressure, according to PFF.
While Z. Smith was downright dominant in 2019 in terms of pressures and pass rush efficiency, Gary in 2021 came pretty close to matching Smith’s production, and he filled a similar role, lining up both outside and in. If Green Bay is trying to keep either Za’Darius or Preston, they save more by moving on from Z. Smith.
On top of all of that, Smith will also turn 30-years-old at the start of the 2022 season, and he is coming off a back injury, which as we’ve seen in other athletes across all sports, back issues can create reoccurring problems depending on the type of injury and the severity. Perhaps that isn’t an issue for Smith, but from the outside looking in, we have no idea.