One day after a lightning-delayed, loogie-filled win over the Cowboys, the Eagles are adding a veteran pass rusher to the mix.
The Eagles on Friday signed defensive end Za’Darius Smith to a one-year contract and placed fullback/special teams ace Ben VanSumeren on injured reserve.
VanSumeren was carted off after suffering a knee injury on the opening kickoff in Philadelphia’s 24-20 win over Dallas on Thursday night. VanSumeren, a former linebacker who converted to full-time fullback, tore his ACL last November in practice.
Smith, 32, is a three-time Pro Bowl who began last season with the Cleveland Browns before a midseason trade to the Detroit Lions. He played in eight games post-trade, compiling four sacks, 34 quarterback pressures and a 16.7% QB pressure rate. He had nine total sacks in 17 combined games with Detroit and Cleveland last season.
A 6-foot-4, 270-pound pass rusher, Smith brings a résumé that includes three double-digit sack seasons, setting a career high with 13 1/2 in 2019 with the Green Bay Packers. Smith was a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens out of Kentucky in 2015.
Smith will join an EDGE room in Philadelphia that includes starters Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt and Joshua Uche, Ogbo Okoronkwo and Azeez Ojulari. The Eagles lost Josh Sweat and Milton Williams to free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement.
The Birds didn’t sack Dak Prescott in their win over the Cowboys on Thursday night, though they played the entire game without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was ejected for spitting on Prescott before the first play of scrimmage.
