The Detroit Lions are in the market for an edge rusher, it seems like just a matter of when a trade is made and who that new player ends up being. The ship has all but sailed on particularly big-name, costly options, if they were ever on the table at all.
Cleveland Browns edge rusher Za'Darius Smith is someone the Lions have reportedly called about. The 32-year old makes a lot of sense on all fronts, and when his name surfaced attached to the Lions a couple weeks ago Smith was asked about the prospect of going to Detroit.
"Hate that injury happened to him, a guy that was on his way to get Defensive Player of the Year possibly,” Smith said, regarding Aidan Hutchinson. “That’s a big loss for them. 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.”
Smith has been among Pro Football Focus' top 40 or so edge defenders all season (currently No. 37 with Week 8 nearly done). He has five sacks this season, including one in each of the last two games.
Also over the last two games, since he sounded so open about being traded to the Lions, Smith has 14 quarterback pressures (according to PFF). On Sunday, against one of his former teams (the Baltimore Ravens) he had a season-high nine pressures (and nine hurries). Coincidence? Maybe, but irony of Smith's recent spike in putting pressure on the quarterback was not lost on Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
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.
Pro athletes should always be intrinsically motivated to perform their best no matter what. But they are also human. Smith's recent little surge could be a bat-signal to teams who are in the market for an edge rusher, now a little over a week before the trade deadline. The Lions are obviously in that mix, and perhaps atop Smith's list of preferred destinations if he is moved.
