A prominent pass rusher in the AFC who's familiar with the NFC North didn't mind the idea when a potential trade to the Detroit Lions was brought up to him Thursday.
Cleveland Browns pass rusher Za'Darius Smith told a Browns reporter "it might be a good look" for him to join the contender on the other side of Lake Erie.
Smith, 32, joined the Browns via trade from the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, and in March, signed a two-year, $23 million contract .
In the one-on-one interview with reporter Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram, Smith said the loss of Aidan Hutchinson was "big," and said the Lions top pass rusher was on his was to having a Defensive Player of the Year campaign with 7½ sacks in five games, before breaking his left leg Sunday against the Cowboys.
“I’m staying positive, but now that you say that (about trade rumors to the Lions), it might be a good look, a good feel for me,” Smith told Pelak .
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The Lions (4-1) have said they are exploring their options in trying to replace Hutchinson. Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday general manager Brad Holmes and staff are exploring all options to add to the Lions' edge depth. Two of their other primary edge rushing options coming into the year, Marcus Davenport (pectoral) and Derrick Barnes (knee), are also out for the season.
“I believe in that D-line,” Campbell said Monday. “Doesn’t mean we’re not looking, we’re not evaluating. Brad is. That’s his job and he’s good at it and we’ll take it as it comes. But our eyes are open and we want to make sure that we have what we need here.”
The Lions' top edge options on the roster are Josh Paschal, James Houston and rookie Isaac Ukwu .
The Browns (1-5) could unload Smith ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline. They traded top receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo on Tuesday, but their best player, defensive end Myles Garrett, said he does not want to go anywhere .
The Browns are tied for the worst record in the NFL, after making the playoffs last season.
Smith previously spent four seasons in the NFC North between the Green Bay Packers and Vikings, earning three Pro Bowl appearances in those years. He has 63 career sacks in 10 seasons, including three in 2024. He played in six of the possible eight games and had two sacks against Detroit from his time in the division. He was originally a fourth-round pick of Baltimore in 2015.
“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 told Pelak.
The last time Holmes and the Lions traded for a player midseason, it coincidentally happened with the Browns. The Lions acquired receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, now on the practice squad, from Cleveland at last year's trade deadline for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Hutchinson led the NFL in sacks and quarterback pressures (45) before going down. He was putting together an early case as the best pass rusher in the NFL to anchor a Lions defense that currently ranks eighth in scoring (18.2 points allowed per game).
On Thursday, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said the team would have to be creative in trying to find a way to recreate Hutchinson's impact, ahead of their divisional showdown Sunday at the 5-0 Vikings.
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“Every week we put a plan together and the plan is about players,” Glenn said. “It’s not about just this scheme that we have. And I say this every week is, man, we do everything we can to put the players in the best position we can to where it shows their strengths, and it limits their weaknesses. So, that’s what we plan to do.”
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Report: Cleveland Browns DE Za'Darius Smith entertains trade idea to Detroit Lions
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