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New Detroit Lions DE Za'Darius Smith has 'chance to go do something great' after trade
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- New Detroit Lions DE Za'Darius Smith has 'chance to go do something great' after trade
Za'Darius Smith had to apologize.
On Tuesday morning, a few hours before the NFL trade deadline, Smith made a cryptic post on social media that sunk the hearts of some Detroit Lions fans anxiously waiting for their team to acquire Smith in a trade with the Cleveland Browns .
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"SMH," Smith wrote on X, before deleting the post several minutes later.
Less than an hour later, the trade was done.
Za'Darius Smith of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after a sack in the third quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field on Oct. 27, 2024 in Cleveland.
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"It was just taking too long," Smith said of the post Friday. "Obviously after that it, it got it done. I deleted it, man. Sorry for the fans that was thinking otherwise, but, yeah, like I said, happy to be here, man. And happy to be with this football team."
Smith took part in his first Lions practice Friday after head coach Dan Campbell gave him two days to get his affairs in order, and the veteran pass rusher said he hopes to debut Sunday when the Lions play the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
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Smith had five sacks in nine games with the Browns, while the Lions (7-1) have struggled to generate a consistent pass rush in the three games since they lost Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg.
"He's tough, he's violent and he's got a motor, and then we're not even talking about potentially (playing) outside or inside, getting on the edge in pass rush and just helping whether that's straight rush or running the games," Campbell said. "So, I just think he's going to be a perfect fit for us."
Smith said Browns general manager Andrew Berry first approached him about a possible trade to the Lions last month after Hutchinson's injury and the two sides spent the past two weeks finalizing the deal.
When Berry called Tuesday to say the trade was done, Smith said he was "happy."
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"I got the phone call from the GM in Cleveland, man, and he was just telling me, 'Z, we got it done for you,'" Smith said. "And I was like, 'We got it done? So we're going to Detroit?' And he was like, 'Yeah, you're going to Detroit.' So thank them, man, for just having me for two years — well, a year and a half — and trading me here to basically get a chance to go do something great."
Campbell said the Lions still are trying to decide whether Smith will play Sunday , and if he does, in what role.
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The Lions excused Smith from practice Wednesday and Thursday because this was supposed to be his bye week with the Browns. Smith said he returned to Florida to check on his home and property, which were damaged by recent hurricanes. He said he lost a few shingles on his house and his truck suffered water damage, but things were fine otherwise.
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"You just got traded, it's a whirlwind. All of a sudden, 'I was here, we were getting ready for the team photo, I was going into the bye and now all of a sudden I drive up here to Detroit and oh by the way, there was a hurricane that hit down south where my house is,' " Campbell said. "There's these things and I think it creates some stress that you can alleviate. That's more important than we have to force the issue right now. And I would rather him be of sound body and mind for the rest of this long haul than I would try to force the issue right now."
Smith said he's ready to help the Lions for the long haul.
He'll wear the same No. 99 that he had with the Browns; he said he paid a sum in the thousands to get the number from Brodric Martin .
"I'm not going to tell you the exact price, but for sure he's going have some good money. Put some gas in his car," he said.
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And he said there's no pressure filling in for Hutchinson, only a great opportunity to help the Lions win.
"I'm going to be Z," he said. "Come in here and be myself, man. Energy guy, man. Help the younger guys. ... To be around great guys and a great group is big, man. I just actually had a chance to go out to practice today and, man, the things that we're doing in practice, I see why this football team is so dominant. Yes sir."
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline" at noon Central time Sunday at Loft 18 in Houston, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Victory in Northville.
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Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions DE Za'Darius Smith anxious to play Sunday after trade
