Browns Deadline Moves Fall Flat After Early Za’Darius Smith Trade
Za’Darius Smith trade grades for Lions-Browns deadline day deal. The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns started Tuesday’s NFL Trade Deadline action by agreeing to a trade that will send Cleveland pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to Detroit. This much-speculated move has come to fruition and will help the Lions further their efforts to make a Super Bowl run after Detroit lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season. Smith, 32, has five sacks in nine games this season, his second with the Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler has had 65 career sacks over 10 seasons with the Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens. If Smith somehow ends up with the Chicago Bears one day, he’ll be the first player in NFL history to play for all four NFC North franchises. With the Browns and Lions making the first NFL Trade Deadline domino fall, everyone wants to know – how did either side do? Let’s give some grades to the trade.
Lions get: Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick
Browns get: A 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick
Za’Darius Smith NFL Trade Deadline trade grades for Cleveland and Detroit.With the 7-1 Lions off to their best start since 1956 and looking like a legitimate threat to make their first Super Bowl appearance, Detroit executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes felt the need to add a starter at defensive end to replace Hutchinson.
The new Lions defender’s five sacks are 2.5 more than any healthy player on Detroit’s roster. However, they came alongside only seven quarterback hits, which suggests he’s been more lucky than consistent. So, the Lions aren’t getting some sudden game-wrecking force since Smith isn’t a game-changer like Hutchinson was. Fortunately, the Lions don’t need great. They’ve got a boatload of talent across the board. Detroit needs someone who can get to the quarterback after logging only a single sack in the last two games. That’s Smith. The question now is whether he can continue to succeed in a defense that doesn’t have Myles Garrett creating nightmares on the opposite corner.
Regardless, he’s a rock-solid veteran who can answer a need at a low cost. Cleveland hoped for a fourth-round selection but settled for a fifth and a 2026 late-round pick swap instead. So, addressing a need while not having to spend more than you were comfortable with trading is an overwhelming success for Detroit.
Although the Browns shot for the moon, they still landed among the stars with their return. Smith is 32 years old and in his 10th season in the league, so a Day 3 draft pick makes sense for compensation. But Cleveland needs draft assets since they’re a roster that badly needs inexpensive starters since they’re stuck with Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract. The Browns appear to be on the doorstep of a rebuild this offseason.
While Smith was signed through 2025, he no longer made sense to keep for the foreseeable future and better served as a piece to acquire a future asset. So, getting any draft picks in return made sense. It also allows the Browns to get a better look toward the future. Both Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire have flashed potential. Either could become a long-term bookend to Garrett with more playing time now that Smith is with the Lions.
Browns to release veteran DT ahead of trade deadline The Cleveland Browns have been busy ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, as they traded Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday morning after having previously dealt Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. And while it wasn’t a trade, the Browns made another move involving a veteran defensive lineman shortly after trading away Smith. Cleveland has had issues popping up all over their roster this season, and one guy who did not produce as expected for them was veteran defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. Despite just signing with the Browns last offseason, the team announced that they were releasing him ahead of the trade deadline as they continue to change up their defensive line.
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7 comments
I knew this was going to happen. Last year was a lot of smoke and mirrors.
Of course Berry FAILED yet again. Why is he still the GM for the Browns?!?!
Appreciate the detailed breakdown! I have a quick question: I have a safepal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (proof inner hobby bounce blouse able donate virtual luggage cart morning ticket). How should I go about sending them to Binance?
34:35 G. Bush. I'm actually impressed with you today. Seldom have I ever heard a Browns media guy speak such clear unvarnished truth. I keep saying Brownies live in their own world, separate and distinct from the reality of most fan bases. You better believe Berry put every player on the block including Myles and Ward and everybody said no thanks, not at your inflated prices. Myles may have fetched at best a 2nd. Ward is untradeble. Njoku may have fetched a 3rd at most. JOK maybe a 4th. Everybody else is in the 5th and 6th bin. Berry is a great accountant but is not a very good GM at least when it comes to drafting. Remember when he traded out of the 2nd round, not having a 1st, and picked that great receiver David Bell? What the Browns should do is look at this as a 4 year build. Each year just get the BPA. Stop obsessing on qb. In fact get the qb last when you have built a solid OL. And please Brownies, stop thinking you are one of the big boys until you actually win something. This is why your football existence is so miserable. Except the team for what it truly is and celebrate the small things. The improvements. Tune out the hype.
Dingle Berry is the worst GM in football, hands down. He has made a complete mess of this team. Cap hell for the next two years, minimum. Ivy League idiot.
They are not looking to do a total rebuild and to be real… they shouldn't. This team is not devoid of talent.
I would not trade Chubb, Garrett, or Njoku. They are hard to replace. We invested a lot of time and training to get Njoku where he is. Build around them!