Another Redskins player is set to leave the D.C. area via free agency.
Yesterday, the Washington Redskins let slot wide receiver Jamison Crowder walk to the New York Jets in free agency, as the former fourth-round pick signed a three-year deal worth $28.5 million. Crowder’s departure ultimately came down to the dollars, and when the terms of Preston Smith‘s new deal with the Packers are revealed, we’ll see if the case was the same with him.
Yes, you read that right. Preston Smith is heading north, to the west bank of Lake Michigan, where he’ll be one of two premier edge rusher free agent signings for the Green Bay Packers. The news of his signing was released just after the Packers signed former Ravens edge rusher Za’darius Smith as well. Rob Demovsky reported the deal in progress, and it was later confirmed by NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
The #Packer add not one but two pass-rushers with Preston Smith coming aboard. The deal isn’t done yet, but it will get done. https://t.co/cqF7IqRrYr
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2019
As Rapoport said, the deal is not done yet, but one can guess what the value might be. Smith is a well-rounded, underrated edge defender who still has some developmental upside at the age of 26. However, while he was a solid starter for the Redskins, he never quite reached the game-changing heights they wanted him to, and no serious, tangible effort was made to keep him around.
Smith was expected to be one of the first free agents off the board, with his intriguing combination of a relatively high floor and good potential. But the first day of legal tampering passed, and Smith had no deal. It was thought that the delay for Smith might chip away at his contract value, but after seeing the Packers give Za’Darius Smith $16 million annually, those concerns disintegrated.
Smith gives the Packers an upgrade on the edge, but his loss isn’t without some consolation for the Redskins. Depending on his contract, they could get a third or fourth-round compensatory pick, and with the Packers’ need at edge rusher now filled, one of the top edge rushers in the NFL Draft, such as Brian Burns, could fall to the Redskins at No. 15.
When the official details of Smith’s deal are released, they will be added to this post. Smith had a respectable career in D.C., but now, his next chapter will take place elsewhere. Smith goes from burgundy and gold, to green and yellow.
Update:
Here are the terms of the Smith deal. Depending on what happens next, Smith could get the Redskins a third-round compensatory pick in 2020. If not that, then a high fourth.
The #Packers are signing LB Preston Smith to a 4-year deal worth a base value of $52M, source said. He gets $16M to sign. He gets $27.5M over the first two years.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2019