The Za'Darius Smith situation has been a very interesting one in Detroit over the past couple of months. Smith was traded to the Lions at the trade deadline last season, after the Lions had a wealth of injuries on the defensive line.
After putting up nine sacks in 2024, Smith was released by the Lions before free agency, leaving fans to wonder what the Lions had planned at defensive end. Since the release, Smith has been seen in the Detroit area, leaving fans to wonder if he plans on re-signing with the Lions.
When asked about the Za'Darius Smith situation at the owner's meetings two weeks ago, Holmes said they have been keeping in touch with Smith's agent and seeing how that process goes.
Brad was asked, again, about the veteran pass rusher at Thursday's media availability, and didn't have the update that Lions fans wanted to hear.
Lions fans still don't know if Za'Darius Smith is coming back
"His agent would let us know if things had changed, but we haven't had any discussions since the annual meetings."
While there is no update from the Lions GM regarding Smith's status with the Lions, Smith was seen at a Pistons game recently, leaving the door open for a possible return to Detroit.
With the draft looming, Holmes is going to be pressured by Lions fans to make a move to acquire or draft a pass rusher for the upcoming season. Almost all Lions fans, after last season, have been clamoring for the Lions front office to do so.
The Lions have needed someone to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and while the draft may be the place to find that player, Holmes isn't going to be aggressive in pursuing that.
"I think there are some good players at that position," Holmes said when asked about pass rushers. "Some might go before our pick, some might be available at our pick, there might be an opportunity to trade back."
Holmes said that he feels the same about the pass rushers on the current roster as he did at the league owner meetings two weeks ago.
Per usual, Lions fans should not expect Holmes and his staff to go out of their way to draft a pass rusher or re-sign a guy like Za'Darius Smith, because the Lions don't acquire players strictly based on need, for better or for worse. Regardless, Holmes has turned around this roster in such a short time that we are not even close to the point where we should be doubting his decision making.
