Lions Add Za’Darius Smith Before Trade Deadline
Reports from sources, including ESPN and the NFL, say that the Lions have added veteran DE Za’Darius Smith just before the NFL trade deadline.
This trade is set to shake things up—in a good way!
The Details
- Browns Trade: Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
- Lions Trade: Our 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Why this matters
We’ve been on a roll, sitting comfortably at 7-1, but there’s always room to grow. Our pass rush took a hit after Aidan Hutchinson’s leg injury last month. With Smith on board, we’re looking to UNLEASH the full potential of our defense.
Smith, 32, is no rookie. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler with 65 career sacks over his 10 seasons with the Browns, Vikings, Packers, and Ravens. This season alone, he’s already got five sacks in nine games!
Aidan Hutchinson update
Speaking of Hutchinson—he’s been a BEAST! He had 7.5 sacks in just five games before his injury. We’re all hoping for his speedy recovery, and the Lions haven’t ruled out his return this season.
The Browns’ situation
Meanwhile, Cleveland is struggling. They’re 2-7 and have offloaded another star player, Amari Cooper, to the Bills. It looks like they’re embracing a major rebuild.
What’s next?
With six straight wins and Smith hopefully in the mix, the Lions are ready to ROAR louder than ever. Could this move take us to the Super Bowl?
Stay tuned, Lions fans. The best is yet to come!
3 Biggest Threats to a Lions Super Bowl
The Detroit Lions are a supremely talented NFL team in 2024. They were just named the favorite by Sports Illustrated to win the Super Bowl this year. As Lions fans we are in a unique situation for the first time in our franchise’s history. We now are looking at what could possibly prevent our Detroit Lions from making it to their first ever Super Bowl game. But what are the biggest threats to Detroit making the Super Bowl?
With the start of the NFL regular season right around the corner, there is a ton of hype surrounding our beloved Detroit Lions. The team is poised for great things. We are coming off a historic season where the team finished 12-5. Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s consistent play was a massive part of the team’s overall success.
Jared Goff finished the 2023 season with over 4500 Passing Yards, 30 Touchdowns to only 12 Interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.3, with the highest completion percentage of his NFL career. Not to mention his solid play in the playoffs, where it mattered most. Goff also had two solid games and a star-studded performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Anytime you finish a game with an 80% completion rate, you’ve played phenomenally at the Quarterback position. Jared Goff is our guy!
Detroit Has The Cast
While Jared Goff has been excellent in Detroit, he’s not the only star in the motor city. Lions Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has solidified himself as a top 5 receiver in the National Football League. Finishing in the top 4 in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2023, St. Brown is poised to jump from star to superstar this season. Detroit is lucky to have such unbelievable talent and a superb work ethic like Amon-Ra. Not since Megatron has the franchise had a receiver this good.
With other deadly offensive weapons like Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and the rock-solid gritty David Mongomery, this team has everything going for them. Our offense will be a tough matchup for any defense this season. Of course, we cannot forget about the offensive line. With some slight adjustments after the loss of Jonah Jackson, the O line has been revamped and retooled. They’re poised to be a top 5 group yet again, which will be pivotal to match the offensive potency we saw all of last season.
Lastly, the defense has seen significant upgrades at all levels. Multiple players have been added to the secondary, which has been bolstered with reinforcements from two draft picks, a trade, and free-agent signings. The defensive line had two great additions: Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reader. The team has seen some major development from guys like Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and even Derrick Barnes.
Lions Super Bowl
With James Houston healthy again and star edge Rusher Aidan Hutchinson doing his thing, this defense should be a much more fearsome unit this season. More pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz makes the job of the Lion’s secondary much easier. This will be key for Detroit as all these new additions must acclimate to playing alongside each other. With all of these fantastic things you’ve heard about our Detroit Lions, all signs point towards Detroit being a top 5 team again.
Finishing one game short of the Super Bowl this year means we aim bigger. Seemingly, everyone in the state of Michigan has been wanting a Lions Super Bowl for an eternity. What will stop the Detroit Lions? If they’re genuinely this good, nothing should stand in their way. Even still, only three things will prevent a Lions Super Bowl. Find out what those three things are below.
Major Injuries
It seems like an easy answer but one of the only things that could ruin the Lions chances of making it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history is injuries. Every team every season suffers injuries as it’s part of the game. However, if the Lions lost a few major pieces, I don’t see how they could overcome it. If Jared Goff went down as well as Aidan Hutchinson, it would completely derail the season. Which is honestly a compliment to the team if injuries is one of the team’s biggest threats.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 21: Sam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions is pursued by Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers quietly have become the second best team in the NFC North. It truly seems like the Packers franchise have found their Quarterback of the future yet again in Jordan Love. Green bay has a stacked defense and it looks like their offense is truly legit. I’m not saying Green Bay will be better than Detroit, but they can’t be overlooked anymore.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 24: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions
The biggest threat to the Detroit Lions’ chance at the Super Bowl is themselves. This team is 100% capable of achieving great things. With all of the improvements Brad Holmes made to this team, there’s no reason to think they won’t make it to their first Super Bowl. The only thing that can truly stop them, is themselves!
DETROIT,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 24: Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) runs on the field during a play during a preseason game between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, August 24, 2024 (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
