Whether the cryptic tweet helped grease the skids for the trade, we may never know. But the deal was done less than 90 minutes later and Smith deleted the post. In his first meeting with the Detroit media, Smith smiled and explained the post.

leads the NFL with 11 sacks and played for Lions coaches in New Orleans. Hendrickson would have certainly cost the Lions a lot more draft capital than Smith, but he would have come with a sticky contract situation. FILM REVIEW:Za'Darius Smith won't replace ...

On Monday morning, the Lions acquired edge rusher Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns ... The Browns are in sell mode after starting the season 2-7 and sit near the bottom of the NFL standings, while the Lions needed to add pass rushers in their ...

Za'Darius Smith was not active in his first game as a member of the Detroit Lions organization, a Sunday night showdown against Houston. However, he could be seen and heard on the team's sideline.

“The Lions and Browns have discussed a potential trade for defensive end Za’Darius Smith. At this point, the expectation is that it’ll be more than talk. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the current expectation is that Smith will be traded to Detroit tonight or tomorrow.” – Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

The Lions are doing what they can to fill that Aidan Hutchinson-sized hole in their defense for their Super Bowl push.

Deadline day was highlighted by the Washington Commanders acquiring four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions adding edge rusher Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns. The Pittsburgh Steelers also ...