Notes: With speculation swirling, teammates say they'll miss Za'Darius Smith if he's traded

Chris Sweeney and Scott PetrakThe Chronicle-TelegramCLEVELAND — Come Tuesday evening, there could be big changes.The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. For the Browns, who lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 27-10 on Sunday to fall to 2-7, that could mean key players won't be back after the bye week.Cleveland already traded Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo last month, and Pro Football Talk reported Sunday a deal involving defensive end Za'Darius Smith — likely to Detroit — is expected. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski declined to comment on the report.Myles Garrett ends drought with 3 sacks, would trade them for a winWhen Smith was asked on his way out of the locker room by The Chronicle-Telegram whether he was aware of such a deal, he answered "nope."If Smith gets dealt, he will be missed."Za'Darius is an amazing teammate for our team," cornerback Denzel Ward said. "He's a leader on this team and a playmaker out there on the field. I love having Za'Darius out there on the field with me. That was one of my favorite additions to the team when he came on. He's a great player and a great guy in the locker room."If the deal comes to fruition, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Smith, who spent four seasons in the NFC North from 2019-22, the first three with the Green Bay Packers and one with the Minnesota Vikings. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, where he spent his first four seasons.Chargers 27, Browns 10: Jameis Winston throws 3 INTs, Cleveland dominated, heads into bye week 2-7Cleveland acquired Smith in a deal with the Vikings on May 16, 2023. The Browns sent two fifth-round picks in exchange for Smith and sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025. He started 16 games in 2023 and finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks.Smith entered Week 9 with 22 total tackles, 14 solo, and five sacks. He recorded a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit Sunday."Z's my brother, man," safety Juan Thornhill said. "He means a lot. Everybody's going to feel it if he's leaving here. It's going to hurt. He means a lot."He gets back there. He brings a lot of energy. He's one of the leaders of our defense, but I wish nothing but the best for him. It's going to be tough losing a guy like that."Commentary: No hope in sight in this sorry, almost unwatchable seasonIf the Browns had beat the Chargers for a second straight win, they may have decided to stand pat at the deadline. With the loss and minuscule playoff chances, general manager Andrew Berry could dump multiple veterans for draft picks."We already saw a guy go," left guard Joel Bitonio said in reference to Cooper. "It's tough. It's not where we want to be. You understand it's a business in the NFL, but you never want to see the guys that you come into a season with get traded away."BACK IN A FLASHWard played in a game seven days after leaving one with a concussion."I feel great and I'm out of the protocol," he said.Ward, 27, left the win over the Ravens last week in the third quarter and was diagnosed with the sixth documented concussion of his seven-year career. He returned to practice Friday and cleared the protocol Saturday. He started Sunday and played the majority of the snaps. He added two passes defensed to his league-leading total of 13.He reiterated he plans to keep playing despite the rising number of concussions."I feel great," he said. "I'm glad to be part of this team and just doing what I can to help us get a win, that's the main goal."Communication breakdowns disastrous for secondary, BrownsHe said the concussions weren't responsible for a pair of blown coverages on miscommunication.LINEUP CARDFor the first time in his career, left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was healthy but didn't start.Dawand Jones got his second straight start at left tackle.Since being the No. 10 pick in 2020, Wills had started all 57 games for which he was healthy. He missed last week with a knee injury but returned this week and practiced fully Friday. He served as the swing tackle vs. the Chargers and filled in when Jones exited briefly in the second half.Jones was bothered by a shoulder injury in training camp and early in the season but said this was the other shoulder."Just tweaked a little bit," Jones said.He had started 14 games at right tackle over the last two years before Jack Conklin returned from a major knee injury and took his spot. Jones replaced Wills last week, and Stefanski said he played well enough to warrant another start."I thought he did OK and would do better, so I wanted to keep him over there," he said. "Keep that development going."** The Browns were without their top two linebackers, as Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) was placed on injured reserve Saturday and Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps) was inactive for the fourth time in the last five weeks.Mohamoud Diabate was the No. 1 linebacker, Devin Bush joined him in the nickel and base packages and rookie Winston Reid was the third starter in the base defense.** The other inactives were healthy scratches: running back D'Onta Foreman, offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and No. 3 quarterback Bailey Zappe.GONE AT 99William Augustus "Dub" Jones, who played with the Browns from 1948-55, died early Saturday morning at the age of 99, the team announced.He is survived by four sons, three daughters, 22 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and his wife, Schump, whom he met in junior high school in Ruston, Louisiana.Jones was a two-time Pro Bowler, had 41 touchdowns and more than 5,000 yards from scrimmage and won NFL championships in 1950, 1954 and 1955. In 1951, he set an NFL record that has yet to be broken, scoring six touchdowns in Cleveland's win over the Bears. Ernie Nevers, Gale Sayers and Alvin Kamara share the record.Eight years after retiring, Jones returned to the Browns as an assistant coach in 1963. Jones called the offense and stayed on the staff until 1968.BIG PLANSThe Browns unveiled plans and artist's renderings last week for District 46 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, an expansion of the team's footprint in Berea.The new area will be over 16 acres and is expected to open in early 2027. The project will include a community field lined for multiple sports for youth, high school and adult participation, an upscale hotel, a sports medicine facility, apartments, a field house for community use, a parking garage and 30,000 square feet of retail space.It's a collaboration among Berea City Schools, the City of Berea, DiGeronimo Companies, Haslam Sports Group and University Hospitals.EXTRA POINTSOwusu-Koramoah was fined $11,817 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness against the Ravens. He stuck his leg out and tripped quarterback Lamar Jackson. Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. was fined $8,102 for a hip-drop tackle and Diabate $5,130 for a face mask.** The Browns had a decal on their helmets honoring Jim Donovan, the longtime radio play-by-play announcer who died Oct. 26.** The Browns honored military members as part of the NFL's Salute to Service.Director of high performance Shaun Huls is the team's nominee for the Salute to Service Award, which recognizes a league member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community. He was strength and conditioning coordinator with the U.S. Navy SEAL teams from 2006-13.** Former Browns great Joshua Cribbs was the Dawg Pound Captain and smashed the guitar.The post Notes: With speculation swirling, teammates say they'll miss Za'Darius Smith if he's traded first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.