Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes left an interesting hint at the NFL's Annual League Meetings when he explained that the door wasn't closed on a reunion with defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
Acquired at last year's trade deadline, Smith played the final eight regular season games for the Lions and recorded four sacks. He was released ahead of the start of free agency, and Holmes openly admitted that the team couldn't afford to keep him on his current contract.
However, with Smith remaining an unsigned free agent, the Lions' GM explained earlier in the offseason that the team has maintained dialogue with his agent. With Smith appearing at a Detroit Pistons game recently, there was intrigue amongst the fan base that a reunion could be on the horizon.
On Thursday, Holmes said there have been no discussions between Smith's camp and the team since the league meetings. As it stands, the general manager believes that the veteran defender's agent will provide an update if something changes with his current status.
“No, we haven’t had any discussions since then," Holmes told reporters Thursday. "We kind of left it at his agent would let us know if something was going on or if things had changed or we had any updates. So no, we haven’t had any discussions since the annual meetings.”
In his nine total appearances including the Divisional Round for Detroit, Smith amassed a 66.1 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. He recorded 40 pressures, including nine in the team's Thanksgiving win over the Chicago Bears.
