After weeks of reports and rumors, and late indications if was going to get done, the Detroit Lions indeed acquired defensive end Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday.
"When Aidan Hutchinson went down, conversations started right away between the Browns and the Lions,” Schefter said. “The Browns reached out about exploring a trade and the two sides went back and forth here for weeks, and at various points, it felt like it might not happen … there are a lot of factors that go into each of these moves all the time.”
There really aren't any losers on the Lions' end of the Smith trade right now. There are only winners before there are results to react to on the field. They got the edge rusher they pretty clearly wanted over any other, not to mention the clear-cut need they had at the position that demanded a move be made at the trade deadline. Smith appears to be an ideal schematic fit, as he's a stout run defender to go with his pass rushing production.
Time will tell how this holds up, but here are the three biggest winners of the Lions' trade for Smith.
3 biggest winners (with no losers) from Detroit Lions trade for Za'Darius Smith
No. 1: Aaron Glenn
Glenn has orchestrated a Lions' defense that has been quite good without Aidan Hutchinson, other than a lack of sacks and overall pass rush juice that has become a concern since the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year went down. Smith's skill set and versatility makes re-igniting pressure on the quarterback multiple steps easier going forward, not to mention creating better matchups for others along the defensive front.
Dan Campbell was clearly asked for his input about acquiring Smith when general manager Brad Holmes was honing in on potential trade options, and it would not have been done without his stamp of approval. But Glenn was surely also involved in that process, so perhaps he was scheming up ways to use Smith before the deal was done.
As Glenn bolsters his resume for what is sure to be another round of head coaching interviews after this season, having Smith in the fold from here on out is great news for the Lions' defensive coordinator.
2: Josh Pashal
It's fair to say, rooted in injuries, Paschal has had an underwhelming start to his NFL career. Hopefully he'll back from a two-week absence due to an illness in Week 10, and ready to make a big impact down the stretch this season. He is obviously in line to be aided by Smith's presence on the field, but Smith's career track is also something Paschal can look to.
Smith totaled 10 sacks over his his first three NFL seasons. In his fourth year (2018), he had 8.5 sacks and hasn't looked back since. If not for a back injury that cost him most of the 2021 season, the numbers below would be even better.
Paschal is of course in his third season, with less than 900 defensive snaps under his belt entering Week 10.
No one is writing Paschal off right now, or at least no one should be writing him off. But the addition of Smith should benefit him all the way around, as he looks to take a notable step in his still-young career over the rest of this season.
No. 3: Za'Darius Smith
"Hate that injury happened to him, a guy that was on his way to get Defensive Player of the Year possibly,” Smith said, regarding 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.”
The Lions have played the Vikings and the Packers each one time this season, but Smith's overall point still stands. He was broadly open to the idea of being dealt to a Super Bowl contender if the Browns were inclined to move him, and if it was the Lions there would be the extra motivational layer of getting to play against the two NFC North teams he has already played for.
Smith has double-digit sack seasons (three), Pro Bowl selections (three) and playoff games (eight) on his resume. But he has been past the Divisional Round of the playoffs once, and coming to the Lions gives him a legit chance at a Super Bowl ring this year.
It's very common in NFL trade deadline deals for a player to go from a losing team to a really good team, and Smith obviously did just that on Tuesday. It's really too simple when it comes down to it, but the 10-year veteran is a definite winner from the deal that sends him from Cleveland to Detroit.
