The Detroit Lions head into Week 9 with the best record in the NFC at 6-1. This Sunday, they face the Green Bay Packers in a divisional matchup that could allow them to create more separation from their NFC North competition as they push for the title.
Detroit boasts one of the top rosters in the league, but they’re missing a key player after star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson injured his tibia and fibula in Week 6. Before his surgery, the third-year defensive end tallied 7.5 sacks, but he is likely sidelined until the Super Bowl—if the Lions reach it.
AS’s Doug Farrar has suggested a trade that could help the Lions make a deep playoff run, allowing Hutchinson the chance to return in February. Farrar proposed Detroit trade for Cleveland Browns pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, who could fill the gap in Hutchinson’s absence.
Detroit, under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, has increased its blitz rate to a league-high 46.1% of opponent dropbacks in Weeks 7-8,” Farrar noted. “But relying on the blitz so heavily impacts coverage. Adding Smith could allow them to rush with four or five and avoid instances where their secondary is stretched too thin.”
Smith, 32, signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the Browns in March. His salary makes him an affordable trade asset, and the Lions, with $27.4 million in cap space per Over the Cap, could bring him on board to strengthen their playoff push.
A trade would likely only cost the Lions a Day 3 draft pick, which is manageable for a team with Super Bowl ambitions. Meanwhile, the Browns would gain draft capital as they prepare for a potential rebuild around a rookie quarterback in 2025, following the Deshaun Watson era.
Smith has accumulated 22 tackles and five sacks in Cleveland’s first eight games. He has previously expressed openness to a trade to the NFC North, making this scenario potentially beneficial for both Smith and the Lions.