Lions waiting on Za'Darius Smith could haunt them despite looming trade

The Detroit Lions will take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in a battle for NFC North supremacy. There won't be a more anticipated and exciting matchup this week. Many view Detroit and Green Bay as the favorites to represent the NFC in next year's Super Bowl, and this win could go a long way toward determining postseason seeding and the arc of history.

That makes the recent trade buzz around Detroit a bit strange.

The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson, their Defensive Player of the Year candidate on the D-line, to a broken leg in Week 5. Ever since, there has been a clear effort to replace Hutchinson, with Detroit mentioned in several corners of the rumor mill ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

Now, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Detroit has its solution lined up. The Lions are expected to trade for Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith "tonight or tomorrow," giving Detroit a three-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher in Hutchinson's spot.

That's great and all, but why the holdup? Smith is on the field right now for the Browns, so there's an imminent injury risk. Sometimes it just takes a certain period of time for trades to go through, but this has been a speculated pairing for ages. The Browns are in free fall and the Lions desperately need reinforcements on the D-line. If these talks have been happening and Smith is already practically a Lion, there's no reason he shouldn't be in a Detroit uniform for Sunday's joust with Green Bay.

Lions could regret stalling in trade pursuit of Browns DE Za'Darius Smith

By waiting, the Lions will battle Green Bay severely shorthanded on the defensive front. Brodric Martin, Josh Paschal, and Malcolm Rodriguez are all out for Sunday's game, which means Detroit's defensive personnel — especially up front — is severely lacking at a critical juncture in the season.

The Packers' offense is utterly explosive. This is a Lions team that can put up points better than most, but the Packers won't go down unless Detroit can string together enough stops. Jordan Love is blessed with one of the NFL's most dynamic arms. He is not a quarterback you can afford extra time in the pocket. If Green Bay shuts down the Detroit pass rush and keeps Love pressure-free all game, the Packers will have the edge. Especially with a rabid Lambeau crowd on their side.

Smith has been a difference-maker all season despite Cleveland's collective struggles. The 32-year-old, in the final guaranteed year of his contract, has 22 tackles, six QB hits, and five sacks through six starts. He would immediately boost Detroit's defense, even if it takes a bit of time to learn a new scheme. The goal should've been to get this trade across the finish line in time for such an important game. The difference between Smith and no Smith could end up being the difference between 7-1 or 6-2 for Detroit.

It's a long season and there will be plenty of time to reap the rewards of a Smith trade, but the Packers aren't a joke. Every win counts in what is sure to be a tightly contested NFC North race, with Minnesota also on the prowl in that first-place mix. If Green Bay steals this game, just know the Lions won't feel great about the timeline for replacing Hutchinson.