The Detroit Lions have officially acquired DL Za’Darius Smith from the Browns on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Lions acquire:
- DL Za’Darius Smith
- 2026 seventh-round pick
Browns acquire:
- 2025 fifth-round pick
- 2026 sixth-round pick
All indications were that Smith was going to end up in Detroit and it looks like the two parties were able to hammer out a deal before the deadline.
The Lions could use some additional pass-rush help after losing Aidan Hutchinson to a serious leg fracture.
Smith, 32, is a former fourth-round pick of the Ravens back in 2015. He played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract before agreeing to a four-year, $66 million contract with the Packers in 2019.
Smith had one year remaining on his contract and was set to make a base salary of $14,500,000 for the 2021 season when the Packers released him.
The Ravens reached an agreement with Smith on a four-year deal worth $35 million, but he opted to back out of the deal and sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Vikings. From there, the Vikings traded Smith to the Browns and he agreed to a two-year, $23.5 million contract with Cleveland this past March.
In 2024, Smith has appeared in eight games for the Browns and recorded 22 total tackles and five sacks.
The post TRADE: Lions Trade For Browns DL Za’Darius Smith appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.