Jeremy and Erik answer your Detroit Lions mailbag questions, particularly about the Za’Darius Smith trade.
The Detroit Lions landed their top trade target on Tuesday night, bolstering their defensive line in a logical and relatively cheap way. Per several reports out there now, the Lions and Browns were in conversations about Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith all the way back in Week 7, right after Aidan Hutchinson suffered his broken leg.
“The day after Aidan Hutchinson went down against Dallas, Cleveland picked up the phone, called the Lions, and began conversations that culminated on Tuesday morning when the two sides agreed to a deal,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Tuesday evening.
So this trade was a long time coming, and for good reason. There’s a ton of reasons to like the fit, the price, and the outlook of what Smith can do for Detroit in the 1.5 years they now have him under contract.
But how will it impact the rest of the team? Where will Smith line up, and who will line up opposite him? Which players become rotational pieces, and do any Lions defensive linemen shift their roles?
On Tuesday evening, Erik Schlitt and I discussed the Za’Darius Smith trade for nearly 30 minutes. Then we answered some of your Detroit Lions questions that were unrelated to the trade. Here’s an entire breakdown of the show with approximate timestamps.
- (3:00) Initial reactions to the trade
- (7:45) Where will Smith be playing in Detroit’s defense?
- (10:00) Outside of pass rushing, what are Smith’s strengths? What are his weaknesses?
- (14:00) Does Hutchinson’s injury hurt the pass rush or run game more?
- (20:00) How does Smith’s acquisition impact the rest of the defensive line? Is James Houston doomed?
- (21:40) How much will Smith play this week?
- (26:10) Should the Lions have made a second move? Was there even someone realistically available?
- (32:00) Could the Lions add any cut veterans towards the end of the season?
- (33:55) How awesome is Jack Campbell right now?
- (37:50) Thoughts on the 2024 Lions draft class through eight games?
- (43:40) If Aaron Glenn gets a head coach job, is LB coach Kelvin Sheppard most likely to take over as defensive coordinator?
- (48:45) Why are the Lions leaning into more outside zone runs on offense?
- (53:00) Lions Super Bowl favorites?
