NFL trade rumors: Latest news on Detroit Lions, Za’Darius Smith

We’re now just two days away from the NFL trade deadline, and the Detroit Lions remain actively looking for defensive end help, according to several reports.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini wrote on Saturday that “it’s no secret” the Lions have been hunting for an edge rusher since the loss of Aidan Hutchinson to injury. She noted that the Lions have “checked in with numerous teams around the league.”

Late on Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed Russini’s statements, posting the following on Twitter:

Both Russini and Schefter specifically mention Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith as someone Detroit has been inquiring about. We’ve identified Smith several times as a good, logical fit for the Lions, and Smith even himself admitted he’d like landing with Detroit. Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that he believes Smith could be had for a “decent” Day 3 draft pick.

However, there is one huge complication to a potential Lions/Browns trade for Smith: Cleveland may not sell. Ian Rapoport, who also identified the Lions as a team interested in Smith, noted that “it’s not a given that they trade the 32-year-old veteran.” Jordan Schultz didn’t specifically mention the Browns but noted that, “Several AFC teams have paused trade talks to see where they stand after Sunday’s game. With so many 2-win teams in the AFC, some aren’t ready to give up on their seasons or trade players at a discount.”

The Browns sit at just 2-6 on the season and have lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season. However, they are coming off a big win over the Baltimore Ravens last week. They remain extreme long-shots to make the playoffs (3.4% probability by DVOA), but if they beat the Los Angeles Chargers this week, they may still believe.

In other words, if Za’Darius Smith is your guy, root for the Chargers to put an end to what little hope the Browns have in 2024.