The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign pass rusher Za'Darius Smith, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Rapoport adds that the Packers attempted to trade for Smith a few years ago, so, obviously, they have been interested in him for quite some time.
Smith spent the 2018 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens, playing in all 16 games and racking up 45 tackles, 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by the Ravens in the fourth round (122nd pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He appeared in 15 contests during his rookie season, registering 30 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Then, the following year, he participated in 13 games, recording 20 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
Smith then played in 14 games in 2017, finishing with 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
This marks the third key defensive player that Baltimore has lost this offseason. It began the offseason by cutting safety Eric Weddle. Then, linebacker C.J. Mosley agreed to a massive deal with the New York Jets.
For the Packers, Smith is someone they badly needed, as Green Bay ranked just 19th in the league in total defense and 22nd in scoring defense this past season.
The Packers went just 6-9-1 in 2018 and missed the playoffs, marking the first time since 2006 that they failed to qualify for the postseason in back-to-back campaigns.
As a result of Green Bay's struggles, the team fired longtime head coach Mike McCarthy late in the season and replaced him with the young Matt LaFleur in January.
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