Trade grade: Lions make savvy deal to get Za'Darius Smith from the Browns
As trade deadline day got rolling Tuesday morning, the Detroit Lions paid off all the report and rumors from the last days and weeks by acquiring defensive end Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns.
According to reports, the Lions will send a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Browns for Smith and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
As part of the trade, the Lions will pick up the prorated remainder of Smith's base salary for this year ($605,000). According to Spotrac, he has $11 million in non-guaranteed money (mostly tied up in roster bonuses) in 2025. The Browns already paid about $11.3 million of Smith's 2024 compensation, which bolstered him as an ideal trade target for the Lions as they looked for pass rush help after losing Aidan Hutchinson in Week 6. And they presumably had some competition for him
Grade the trade: Lions patiently wait, get Za'Darius Smith from the Browns
Last week, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested a "decent Day 3 pick" would be enough to get Smith from the Browns. After the news of the trade broke Tuesday morning, Fowler affirmed that first report with a follow-up.
The sense coming out of Monday was that the Lions were waiting out the Browns, who, by keeping Za'Darius Smith through Week 9, could see if another team developed a major need at pass rush. Browns originally wanted a 4th but now get a 5th/6th for Smith and a 7th.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 5, 2024
Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer also reported the Browns wanted a fourth-round pick for Smith (the logical definition of a "decent Day 3 pick").
Trade terms …
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 5, 2024
Lions get: DE Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
Browns get: 2025 fifth-round pick and 2026 sixth-round pick.
Cleveland wanted a fourth. Didn’t quite get there but close. Lions get their rusher with long-discussed deal complete.
Smith is still a quality player at 32 years old, with five sacks and six tackles for loss so far this season. Pro Football Focus has him graded as a top-25 edge defender in the league through Week 9, with a similarly-ranked pass rushing grade and 27 pressures. His 23 pressures since Week 5 is tied for fifth-most in the league over that span.
Over the three full games since Hutchinson was injured, the Lions defensive line has just one sack (Josh Paschal in Week 7) and overall they have five sacks in those three games (1.7 per game). Their need for passing rush help as they eye a Super Bowl run was the worst-kept secret in the league, and as much as Smith's name was tied to them a deal to get him was practically inevitable.
The Lions gave up two Day 3 picks to get Smith, but neither was to the level the Browns reportedly wanted and the 2026 sixth and seventh-rounders going each way practically qualifies as an even pick swap. So it really comes down to giving up a fifth-round pick for Smith, with basically $600,000 in committed salary attached to him.
The Browns were probably hoping another team would have a need for pass rush help, and they'd usurp what the Lions were offering. That apparently did not happen to the extent they hoped, so Brad Holmes just waited-while being ready to pivot if he had to.
Ultimately the Lions seemingly got the guy they wanted most, and they paid less than the Browns wanted in draft capital. Albeit before Smith plays a single snap for them, there's just no other way to grade this deal from Detroit's end.
Grade: A+
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