The Detroit Lions made what seemed to be their preferred move to trade for an edge rusher when they got Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns last Tuesday. He was given two days off to rest and survey possible damage at his Florida home after the trade, in deference to the Browns having their bye last week. So he did not make his Lions' debut Sunday night against the Houston Texans.
The list of Lions players who can benefit from Smith's presence could get pretty long, and though he wasn't in uniform on Sunday night a hint of his intangible impact was in plain view. It appears Smith will fit right in, as a on-field and culture fit. And we know Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes value fit equally alongside someone's talent, and they've gotten it right most of the time.
Part of the appeal attached to acquiring Smith at the trade deadline, for the Lions or any other team who may have had interest, was a cheap base salary for this year and being under contract for 2025. It's no a firm financial commitment for next year, but his contract has another year left on it. Smith does not have to simply be a rest-of-season rental.
Sneaky Lions player proposed as the one who'll benefit most from Za'Darius Smith trade
After the trade last week, Hamza Baccouche of Pride of Detroit proposed and answered the question-"Which Detroit Lion benefits most from the Za'Darius Smith trade?"
Baccouche offered a few short-term beneficiaries of the Smith trade (Alim McNeill, Carlton Davis, Alex Anzalone, Trevor Nowaske). But he leaned longer-term with his ultimate answer to the question-Aidan Hutchinson.
Hutchinson is of course out for the season, outside of a possible return for the Super Bowl if the Lions make it. But the rationale makes sense.
"My favorite part of this trade is that it’s not just a half-season flyer. Smith is still under contract with the Lions in 2025 for $11 million. That means we could see Smith and Hutchinson take the field together next September."
"The Lions have talked about adding pass rush help for Hutchinson for a while, and regardless of the defensive line’s success early on in the season, it was still high on the list of needs. Suddenly, it’s a lot lower. Smith not only adds a strong pass-rushing presence opposite of Hutchinson for next year, but Smith is also a very disciplined rusher. He sets a firm edge, creating opportunities for others in clean-up duty. We’ve seen Hutch struggle to convert pressures to sacks, and this might just be the catalyst to make those sacks happen."
-Hamza Baccouche, Pride of Detroit
Hutchinson has largely carried the Lions' pass rush since he arrived as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft. The Lions' search for a viable running mate has been an ongoing and ultimately losing battle to this point. Smith is not a full-on long-term solution, but the prospect of pairing him with Hutchinson in 2025 is very enticing.