Cleveland Browns defenseman speaks out amid swirling trade rumors

Za’Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns is one of the hottest names in the NFL rumor mill ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

At this point, many believe Smith will eventually be traded. While the Browns may decide to keep him, Smith isn’t a long-term piece for the franchise. Moving him now makes the most sense from a business perspective.

Cleveland must make a decision in the coming days. Do they want to cling to the hope that they can pull off a miraculous turnaround and get back into the playoffs? Or are they willing to accept that they are 2-6, have already traded away their best wide receiver and are likely headed for a high draft pick?

Either direction can be chosen, but the latter makes more sense.

Smith is arguably the best pass rusher available on the trade market. He’s already been linked to quite a few different potential landing spots if the Browns trade him.

As trade rumors swirled around him, Smith took the time to speak out about it.

“Man, I don’t pay attention to stuff like that,” Smith said. “I’m in year 10 now, man. If it’s a trade there, that’s a trade. That’s business and it’s handled upstairs. That’s out of my control. So man, I’m just going to keep having fun with my teammates and just take it day by day.”

That’s a very mature way to handle all the drama surrounding the trade deadline.

So far this season, Smith has been the most successful pass rusher on Cleveland’s roster. He has been even more productive than superstar Myles Garrett.

Through eight games, Smith has collected 22 tackles and five sacks. Even at 32, he’s an elite edge rusher and could be the difference-maker for a contender that pushes them over the top and into the Super Bowl.

That said, it will be very interesting to see if the Browns move Smith before the deadline. There seems to be a good chance that this will happen, but at the moment this is no guarantee.