Za’Darius Smith’s situation has been pretty interesting in Detroit over the last few months. Smith was dealt to the Lions at the trade deadline last season, after the team’s defensive line suffered numerous injuries.
After nine sacks in 2024, Smith was released by the Lions before free agency, leaving supporters wondering what the Lions had planned on defense. Since his release, Smith has been seen around the Detroit region, leading supporters to wonder if he intends to re-sign with the Lions.
When questioned about the Za’Darius Smith situation during the owner’s meetings two weeks ago, Holmes stated they had been in contact with Smith’s agent and will see how the process unfolds.
Brad was questioned about the veteran pass rusher again at Thursday’s media availability, but he did not provide the answer that Lions fans were hoping for.
Lions supporters still don’t know if Za’Darius Smith will come back.
“His agent would let us know if things had changed, but we haven’t had any discussions since the annual meetings.”
While the Lions GM has not provided an update on Smith’s position with the team, he was recently spotted at a Pistons game, raising the possibility of a return to Detroit.
With the draft approaching, Holmes will face pressure from Lions fans to make a move to acquire or draft a pass rusher for the upcoming season. Following last season, almost all Lions fans have been begging on the front staff to do so.
The Lions have needed someone to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and while the draft may be the place to locate that guy, Holmes is unlikely to pursue it aggressively.
“I think there are some good players at that position,” Holmes said when asked about pass rushers. “Some might go before our pick, some might be available at our pick, there might be an opportunity to trade back.”
Holmes stated that he had the same feelings about the pass rushers on the current roster as he did at the league owner meetings two weeks ago.
As is customary, Lions fans should not expect Holmes and his staff to go out of their way to pick a pass rusher or re-sign someone like Za’Darius Smith, because the Lions do not acquire players only on the basis of need, for better or worse. Regardless, Holmes has turned around this squad in such a short period of time that we should not be questioning his decision-making abilities.
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