THE Detroit LionsThe search for pass help has been an open secret for weeks now, ever since star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a horrible leg injury against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. Aaron Glenn’s defense did an admirable job staying afloat without its best player, and Detroit has won three in a row since Hutchinson went down, including two impressive victories on NFC North enemies on the road. But that only further underscored the need to make a trade: Even without Hutchinson, this team was clearly good enough to make the Super Bowl with the right moves.

As the days and weeks passed, it seemed like general manager Brad Holmes might pass up this golden opportunity. One potential Hutchinson replacement after another started to disappeareither landing with another team or being taken off the trade block altogether, and options began to dry up with precious little time left before the trade deadline. On Tuesday morning, however, the Lions finally found their man: according to Ian Rapoport, Detroit acquired Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns.

Detroit is sending a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 sixth-rounder to Cleveland, and will also receive a 2026 seventh-rounder as part of the deal.

It’s hard to find much fault on the Lions’ side of this deal. Entering the playoffs with Josh Paschal as the leading rusher simply wasn’t tenable, and Smith was by far the best option remaining on the trade market: the three-time Pro Bowler notched double-digit sacks in three of his last four seasons complete. , and he has played five to nine games so far in 2024. PFF is putting its passing grade for the year at 71.1, 24th in the league and well ahead of every other healthy player on Detroit’s roster. At 32, he’s no longer as overwhelming as he was in his prime with the Green Bay Packersbut he remains a very solid player against both the run and the pass.

It also does not represent a significant commitment, either in salary or capital. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit will recoup the remaining $605,000 of Smith’s salary this season. He has one year remaining on his current contract, but that $11 million is not guaranteed, giving the Lions the option to pair Smith with Hutchinson next year or cut bait if things don’t work out for one. any reason. It was the best Holmes and Co. could hope to do in a difficult situation, and they hardly needed to dip into their draft picks to do it.

For the Browns, meanwhile, it’s… well, good is probably the best word. Cleveland was an obvious seller after a loss to the Chargers this weekend dropped the team to 2-7, and a rebuilding team doesn’t have much use for a 32-year-old passer with an off year. guarantee on his contract. Reports suggest that the Browns were hoping to land a fourth-round pick for Smith, but that was hardly realistic given the team’s lack of leverage — either deal Smith before 4 p.m. ET Tuesday or lose him for nothing — and other pass rushers who have changed teams in recent days. Cleveland was right to move Smith for whatever it could get, but this trade does little to shake things up.

Lions trade grade: A

Browns commercial grade: C+