Packers trade Preston Smith to Pittsburgh, get a 7th rounder and cap relief for the future.

Never forget, Preston Island:

So the biggest news in the country yesterday was the NFL trade deadline. People couldn’t stop talking about Jonathan Mingo getting sent to Dallas, Za’Darius Smith heading to Detroit, and the biggest of all, Marshon Lattimore getting sent to the nation’s capital.

But the Packers made a move too! No, they didn’t get that piece they probably need in the secondary. No, they didn’t get the field tilting pass rusher they need. Instead they sent Preston Smith to Pittsburgh for a 2025 7th rounder and MAJOR cap relief going forward.

And that last piece was probably the biggest reason why Smith got dealt. Ken Ingalls, as always, has a great grasp of the salary cap and the impact of a move like this:

In addition to that, Smith is 31 years old. And I think in general the transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 has been difficult on him. He really is built to be an edge rusher in a 3-4 scheme, which is exactly what he’s going to back to in Pittsburgh. It’s almost like the Aaron Kampman situation in 2009 in reverse. Kampman was a perfect end in a 4-3 scheme. When Dom Capers came in and switched to the 3-4, they tried to find a place for Kampman, but it was clearly a square peg in a round hole. It’s probably not that dramatic with Preston, but it was clear he wasn’t having nearly the impact that he had in previous years in Green Bay.

That said, I don’t think you can call the Preston Smith signing in 2019 anything but a total success. In 5.5 seasons, he piled up 44 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception (Preston Island!). He was also durable as hell. He played in 110 of a potential 111 games during his time as a Packer. I know he didn’t miss much time but I guess I wasn’t aware that he was that reliable.

So, age, combined with not being a perfect fit for the current scheme, combined with the opportunity to save some money going forward, all added up to sending Preston to a better situation (for him) with the Steelers. One of those situations where you wish him the best as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of the Packers.

PS: I know Za’Darius has been gone for a while, but I loved when they both came to town and always did interviews together:

Like some 1989 WWF tag team.

Double PS: Mike McCarthy was not someone who was regarded for his comedic timing, but this might be one of the funniest exchanges a Packer coach has ever had: