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2 hours ago
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The Detroit Lions have failed to address the edge rusher position in free agency after cutting Za'Darius Smith this offseason, and the team waited until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft to take an edge rusher, which isn't sufficient.
Thankfully, there's still plenty of time in the offseason for the Lions to make a move, although we wouldn't expect anything too earth-shattering considering general manager Brad Holmes admitted the team has financial constraints.
One player the Lions could consider to address their need is two-time Super Bowl winner, Von Miller, who was recently pitched as an option to replace Smith by Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman.
"I find it pretty hard to believe the Lions would be interested in Miller at this stage in his career (36 years old). But if they just wanted a situational pass rusher, Miller did produce 40 pressures and 6.0 sacks in just 332 snaps over 13 games (about 25 snaps per game)," Reisman wrote.
Miller was cut by the Buffalo Bills earlier this offseason in a cost-cutting move. It was a pretty easy decision for Buffalo after Miller appeared in just 36 games the previous three seasons and tallied 14 sacks, including zero in 2023 and six in 2024.
Despite the lackluster sack numbers, Miller can still make an impact in a rotational role, especially if he's got Aidan Hutchinson lining up across from him to take pressure off.
Miller only played 279 snaps (33%) last season, which makes his six sacks and 32 pressures more impressive. The six-time Pro Bowler also earned a Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade of 83.0, which ranked 11th among edge defenders.
Miller's price point will be the deciding factor for Detroit. The Lions weren't keen on paying Smith the $11 million or so he was set to receive, so Miller will have to come cheaper than that.
The good news is, chances are he will at this late stage in free agency, and with him being 36 and coming off a few down years. And, he might be willing to take less for an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl with the Lions.
If the price is right, the Lions should absolutely bring Miller aboard to shore up what is a major concern ahead of a season in which the team once again has aspirations of winning a Super Bowl.
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