The Detroit Lions are projected to have $44.8 million in cap space heading into free agency, which should be enough to re-sign several key free agents and add new talent to their roster.
One player, who isn’t a free agent, but could be playing elsewhere is veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. At the trade deadline in November, Smith was acquired from the Cleveland Browns as the Lions needed more EDGE rusher depth.
The veteran defensive lineman played well in his short stint with the Lions, making a solid case to return for 2025. However, it’s unclear if Smith will be back in the Motor City next season as he has a couple of bonuses for $2M (roster) and a $6.99M option due on the third day of the 2025 NFL calendar.
If the Lions only had to worry about Smith’s $1.5 million base salary for 2025, it likely would be a no-brainer. That said, the latest report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano sheds some light on Smith’s future with the team.
"But it's also true that it would be a little out of character for this Lions team to take that kind of a huge swing on an external addition. Given the strategic and targeted way they've built this roster in the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes era, I would say it's more likely they bring back Za'Darius Smith."ESPN's Dan Graziano
Graziano answered one salary cap-related question for all 32 NFL teams, including Detroit. The Lions’ question revolved around whether the team should make a big splash for a big-time pass rusher (Myles Garrett) or take a more conservative approach.
Based on the Lions’ projected cap space, they can do both and take this defensive line to the next level in 2025. If they were to bring back Smith, it wouldn’t be a bad idea, as he can start and be a rotational pass rusher in Kelvin Sheppard’s scheme.
After the Lions’ season ended in the divisional round, Smith made it clear on social media that he wanted to return to Detroit. The Lions do not want to be in a similar predicament in 2025, so they should get as much premier depth as possible.