The Detroit Lions‘ trade deadline acquisition of veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith not only helped the team fill the void in the wake of the Aidan Hutchinson injury, it also gave Detroit a potential option opposite its young star edge rusher in 2025.
Smith has proven to be a solid addition over his first five games with the team, with the veteran tallying three sacks in that span. And, Smith figures to have at least one more good year in him to help the Lions out next season.
But things are murky beyond that, as Smith is 32 years old. With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder believes the Lions will add New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young in free agency next offseason.
“While Za’Darius Smith is under contract next season, that will be the last year of his deal,” Holder wrote. “Also, Smith turns 33 years old in September, so it couldn’t hurt to add another young pass-rusher to play with Aidan Hutchinson.
“Young will be 26 this spring, and while he hasn’t made many headlines playing for a bad Saints team this fall, Pro Football Focus credited him with 53 total pressures through Week 14, seventh-most among edge-rushers,” Holder added. “Also, Detroit is currently projected to have over $63 million of cap space this offseason, per Over The Cap, to splurge on an extra pass-rusher.”
On a one-year, $13 million contract, Young is having a strong season with 5.5 sacks and 53 pressures in 14 games. He would provide the Lions with more depth in 2025, and with a future running mate for Hutchinson in the years that follow, as Young will be just 26 in April.
As Holder notes, the Lions are projected to have $63 million in cap space, so they can afford to bring Young in. However, the concern with Young is that he’s had questions about his effort before, so giving him a multi-year deal is risky.
And, with those past effort concerns, the Lions may steer clear of him altogether, as that kind of issue runs counter to the culture Detroit has built over the years.
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