The Lions are trading with the Browns for Pro Bowl DE Za’Darius Smith – originally posted on Sportslens.com

Tuesday, November 5 at 4:00 p.m. EST is the trade deadline for the 2024 NFL season. Contenders will be looking to add pieces to help make a postseason run. The bottom of the league will be sellers hoping to get draft capital for the future. This morning, Ian Rapoport announced a trade between the Lions and Browns. 

Detroit sent a 2025 fifth-round and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round. This will be the fifth team in Smith’s 10-year professional career. He signed a two-year extension with Cleveland but had been traded to the Lions. Smith has been brought in to help fill the void the left with Aidan Hutchinson out. We’ll see how effective Smith can be in the second half of the season for the Lions.

Za’Darius Smith is now a member of the Detroit Lions

Sources: The #Browns are trading standout edge Za’Darius Smith to the #Lions, who add a key presence on the edge to help make up for the loss of Aidan Hutchinson.

It’s Smith and a 2026 7th going to Detroit for a 2025 5th and a 2026 6th. A major move. pic.twitter.com/gtCs86rL97

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2024

In the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft, the Ravens selected Za’Darius Smith out of Kentucky. He played the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens before signing a four-year deal with the Packers. Smith played three seasons in Green Bay before playing for the Vikings in 2022. His last two seasons have been with the Cleveland Browns but the veteran DE was traded on Tuesday. Now, the 32-year-old is headed back to play in the NFC North.

The Detroit Lions lost Pro Bowl pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury in Week 5. Since then, the Lions have been trying to fill a void at DE. With the postseason in mind, Detroit made a trade with the Browns for a veteran pass rusher. Za’Darius Smith is now a member of the Lions. He had (5.0) sacks, 23 combined tackles, and seven QB hits through his first nine games. At his best in 2019, Smith had (13.5) sacks for the Packers. Detroit needed an answer at DE with Hutchinson out and Za’Darius Smith is who they traded for. The Lions are on the road in Week 10 to face the Houston Texans on SNF.

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