The Detroit Lions won’t have to look too far to round out their defensive line this offseason. In fact, according to ESPN, the best fit free agent for them is a player they acquired at the trade deadline last year in an emergency move after Aidan Hutchinson’s season ended to an injury.
Don’t be surprised to see Za’Darius Smith back in Detroit next year. It’s been reported that he was probably coming back to Detroit, but only let go because they weren’t willing to pay him what his current contract was. But Brad Holmes alluded to the fact that they were very interested in bringing him back on a cheaper deal.
So the question is what’s taking so long? Clearly Smith isn’t a prime candidate otherwise he wouldn’t still be available. They know what he can do and know about what it would cost to bring him back, what could they possibly be waiting for?
The Detroit Lions have to bring back Za’Darius Smith if they learned anything from last season
The Lions would be foolish not to bring Smith back. After all, their defense was so depleted, they were playing practice squad players on a team that finished first in the NFC. Why play around with depth issues again?
Hutchinson is coming off a gruesome and major lower leg injury, Alim McNeill is coming off a significant injury as well. Rookie Tyleik Williams will only do so much. They need veterans to fill out their defensive line, specifically Smith.
The fact that the Lions keep getting linked to a reunion with Smith shows somebody knows something. But the Lions' hesitancy is bringing up more questions because there’s no need to wait around to do what is probably going to happen anyway.
On top of that, this is too obvious of a move for the Lions to make. So again, why are they waiting? If the Lions refuse to bring back Smith, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense at all. There’s not a single player out there that can have the impact Smith did on this defense.
In an abbreviated season with the Lions, he did everything he was asked and more. He finished his tenure in Detroit with four sacks and 12 tackles and he had five sacks in Cleveland before he was traded.
Either the Lions know something we don’t or they’re just clueless. But it’s not a coincidence that Smith is circulating again as the Lions’ next signing. Detroit seems to be the only one denying the inevitable.