With the NFL trade deadline coming up on November 5, it’s crunch time for “buyers” and “sellers” in the market for some new players. For the Detroit Lions, there’s certainly a need for a good defensive end to help replace the hole left by Aidan Hutchinson, who’s out with a broken tibia for the remainder of the regular season.
One potential Hutchinson replacement could be “a great schematic fit for the Lions” without breaking the bank, according to Brad Berreman of SideLion Report. Of course, nobody can really “replace” Hutchinson, since he’s special, but the Lions need some help to patch the defense up until he’s back.
‘Versatile’ Player Could Be a Great Addition for the Lions
Za’Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns has been floated around as a possible Hutchinson replacement, and Berreman says he can see why.
“Smith’s name has been easily tied to the Lions, especially now in the wake of Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending leg injury,” Berreman wrote in an October 22 feature.
“Smith (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) looks like a great schematic fit for the Lions, versatile as well as equally proficient as a pass rusher and a run defender,” Berreman noted. “He has four sacks this season and three tackles for loss, as Pro Football Focus has him graded as a top-50 edge defender in the league through Week 7 (No. 47, 67.6 overall grade) with 15 pressures (38th).”
One more benefit: Smith would likely not be too expensive and help the Lions save some pennies.
“An acquiring team would pick up the prorated remainder of his $1.21 million base salary for this year, and his $1.5 million base salary for next year is not guaranteed,” Berreman noted. “At 32 years old, he would have no place in any rebuild/reset the Browns might be headed for, so getting a draft pick back for him when he’s sure to be in demand on the trade market would seem ideal.”
In a separate SideLion Report feature, published on October 28, Berreman adds that, “The now 2-6 Browns are still likely trade deadline sellers, and Smith stands out as one of their best trade assets. Amid his direct comments about possibly coming to the Lions he also was not necessarily looking to leave the Browns at a low point, as he’d be expected to say publicly.”
‘I Would Like’ Going to Detroit, Za’Darius Smith Says
Smith has publicly expressed interest in the idea of coming to the Motor City, too.
“That’s a big loss for them,” Smith told The Chronicle in an October 18 interview, when asked about Hutchinson’s injury. “But if I was to go to Detroit, I would like it, because I get to play Green Bay twice a year and the Vikings twice a year. So, yeah, that’ll be big.”
Let’s face it: A guy who wants to take down both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings sounds like a good fit for the Detroit Lions. He’s got my stamp of approval.
Of course, the Lions have numerous options to replace Hutchinson, each with their benefits and drawbacks. In his NFL Trade Block Big Board going into Week 8, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report proposed New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young as a trade fit for the Lions.
“The Lions are a logical landing spot for any available edge-rushers, and they should be interested if Young is available,” Knox wrote.
