Lions, Za'Darius Smith get free agent update as training camp rolls on

The Detroit Lions have been suggested as a team all offseason that needs another pass rusher.

They've got Aidan Hutchinson back to full health, but ongoing speculation has centered on the idea that he needs a strong talent opposite him at the other defensive end spot.

The irony is that the Lions really never had to look far.

Midway through last season, they acquired veteran Za'Darius Smith from the Browns, and he had four sacks in eight games with Detroit.

Now into August, Smith is still a free agent. The Lions still have interest in bringing him back, too.

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GM Brad Holmes spoke on local FM station 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday and shared the latest on the negotiations.

“Za’Darius did a lot of good things last year for us and we said we’re going to keep in contact with his agent, but everything’s not just one-sided,” Holmes said. “Za’Darius has expectations, the team has expectations, so sometimes it takes a while for those things to get on the same page. Especially a guy that’s been in the league as long as he has, I’m not saying that he doesn’t want to be in training camp, but if he misses some time, there’s obviously still interest there and we’ve been keeping in touch.”

Smith hasn't given any indication that he'd want to retire, so at some point, a team out there will get a great pass rusher with his signature.

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The Lions, with goals of finally ending their Super Bowl drought, have to be considered one of the favorites.

Smith seemed to enjoy his time in Detroit, and that was even without getting to actually be on the field with Hutchinson.

There has to be some appeal for a veteran to get to play with a young rising star like that, especially when a team with two star pass rushers can allow both edge players to thrive in a very symbiotic relationship.

Smith's name is worth tracking, because he remains exactly what the Lions need, and it sounds like he's still in Detroit's heads, too.

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