The Detroit Lions were in a good place when it came to their edge rush group at the start of the season, with the team sporting star Aidan Hutchinson and 2024 free-agent signing Marcus Davenport opposite one another.
However, things went south just a few games into the season, as Davenport suffered an elbow injury that is expected to end his season. Now, the Lions are back to square one with Hutchinson being a one-man band and having the weight of holding up the pass-rush on his shoulders.
But the Lions may have an opportunity to change that as the trade deadline approaches, and one NFL analyst sees them striking a deal with the Cleveland Browns for veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith.
Here's what CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin said of the potential move:
"If Cleveland wisely auctions off some of its more expensive vets, Smith could be a seamless partner for Aidan Hutchinson off the edge in Detroit," Benjamin wrote. "He's already repped two other NFC North squads before."
A former Green Bay Packer and Minnesota Viking, Smith is already quite familiar with the NFC North, as Benjamin notes. But much more importantly, he would be a big upgrade over what the Lions are currently working with opposite Hutchinson.
Smith had a down year in 2023 with 5.5 sacks, but he has tallied double-digit sacks three times during his career and he's well on pace to top what he did last season after posting three sacks over five games in 2024.
Making Smith even more attractive is the fact that he's in the first year of a two-year, $23 million deal, so he'd be more than just a short-term rental, assuming everything works out.
Of course, before any trade can happen, the Browns would have to be willing to deal Smith. But with Cleveland looking like a total dumpster fire and sporting a 1-4 record thanks to the inept Deshaun Watson, it's more likely than not that the Browns become sellers at the trade deadline.
