Fresh off a close win against the divisional rival Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles wasted no time trying to improve their roster. The Eagles took down the Cowboys 24-20 in the season opener, but not without major drama involving defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
On Friday, the Eagles signed defensive edge rusher Za'Darius Smith. The deal is for one season, where he will reportedly earn $9 million. As a corresponding move to the transaction, the Eagles placed FB Ben VanSumeren on IR.
Za'Darius Smith has been in the NFL since 2015, dominating opposing offensive tackles on his way to 69 career sacks. In 2019 and 2020 with the Green Bay Packers, he finished with 13.5 sacks and 12.5 sacks in consecutive years. Smith started his career with the Baltimore Ravens, but his best seasons were with the Packers. He has also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions, where he played last season. He tallied four sacks with the Lions and five with the Browns for a total of nine on the season.
At age 32, Smith can still be valuable, and the Eagles are bringing him in to make an impact right away.
It's unclear what the NFL will do with Jalen Carter at this moment. A suspension could come. Smith won't replace Carter, but the edge rusher will likely be acclimated quickly. The Eagles should not be impressed with how they played against the run on Thursday night against the Cowboys. Dak Prescott was also not sacked once. I know it's only one game, but the Eagles are clearly trying to become a better passing and rushing team. Smith brings a veteran presence to one of the league's best defenses.
The media is not happy with what Jalen Carter did on Thursday night by spitting on Prescott before the first snap of the season. Next week, the Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch. Carter may not be on the field.
