$10.5 Million DE, Former Pro Bowler Fit for Browns After Za’Darius Smith Injury

Getty Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, formerly of the Chicago Bears.

The Cleveland Browns arguably already needed another pass rusher on the depth chart, and such an addition has only grown more necessary after two recent injuries to notable players at the position.

Team officials carted starting defensive end Za’Darius Smith off of the practice field on Monday, August 5, after an apparent knee injury. The severity of the injury was not immediately clear.

Reserve defensive end/defensive tackle Sam Kamara also exited practice Monday, heading inside just minutes before Smith while clutching his left side “in obvious pain,” per Noah Weiskopf of The Orange and Brown Report.

With the season just over one month away, the Browns will almost certainly consider adding to the position group for purposes of talent as well as depth/injury insurance.

There aren’t over-many quality options remaining in free agency, though arguably the best of the group is Yannick Ngakoue, a former Pro Bowler with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2017), who most recently played for the Chicago Bears on a one-year deal worth $10.5 million.

Yannick Ngakoue’s Down Year in 2023 Partly Due to Injury

GettyDefensive end Yannick Ngakoue, formerly of the Chicago Bears.

Ngakoue is a pass-rush specialist who has been something of a journeyman in the NFL due to warts on other parts of his game. However, for the purposes of the Browns and their No. 1 ranked defense from last season, Ngakoue fits the bill as a rotation player off the edge who could start in Smith’s stead or split reps with Ogbo Okoronkwo.

Ngakoue was a late signing in Chicago last year, inking his deal on August 4. He said last offseason that he was seeking a more permanent home, but still took the Bears offer when it came. That he has again reached August without a contract is an indicator Cleveland might be able to land Ngakoue on an affordable one-year deal.

His sole campaign in Chicago, which fielded one of the worst pass-rushing defenses in the league, represented Ngakoue’s lowest output over his eight-year career. He finished the season with just 4 sacks after notching at least 8 sacks in each of the previous seven years and eclipsing the double-digit mark twice (2017, 2021).

However, Ngakoue also missed four games due to a broken ankle. The defensive end posted a video of himself on X partaking in individual drills in early May to show his progress and included a caption that said, “What ankle?”

Browns May Need to Move Quickly to Secure Yannick Ngakoue as Insurance Against Serious Injury to Za’Darius Smith

GettyDefensive end Yannick Ngakoue, formerly of the Chicago Bears.

If Ngakoue truly is healthy and willing to sign a one-year contract, the Browns probably need to act sooner than later.

The Bears still have only one star at defensive end in Montez Sweat, Ngakoue now has a history in Chicago and head coach Matt Eberflus was Ngakoue’s defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022.

Smith rode in the front seat of the medical cart rather than stretched out on the back when leaving practice Monday, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. While that is potentially a positive sign, Jackson also noted that the Browns defensive end was “in some obvious pain.”

Cleveland should have a solid read on the injuries to both Smith and Kamara by Tuesday. Any serious news should add urgency around the position, which the Browns may have already been looking to upgrade via another signing ahead of the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 8.