Eagles Bolster Defensive Line with Za’Darius Smith Acquisition
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles bolster their defense with the addition of veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith.
The move was finalized on Friday, providing a valuable reinforcement to the team.
Simultaneously, the team placed fullback Ben VanSumeren on the injured reserve list.
Smith, 32, played for the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions last season, accumulating nine combined sacks and 17 quarterback hits.
Originally selected in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens, Smith has also played for the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings throughout his 10 seasons in the NFL, totaling 69 career sacks.
The Eagles lost Brandon Graham, who retired, and Josh Sweat in free agency during the offseason. To compensate for these losses, the team signed Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari to one-year contracts, who will join starters Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. Ojulari had a discreet summer and did not participate in the opening game against the Cowboys.
VanSumeren suffered a knee injury during Thursday’s kickoff and was unable to return to the game.
