DETROIT – The Detroit Lions made one of the biggest moves of the trade deadline, but that wasn’t the only deal that will affect them.
Here‘s how three trades made right before the deadline will impact Detroit’s Super Bowl hopes.
Lions trade for Za’Darius Smith
Obviously, this is the move that matters most to the Lions, because it’s the one they made to shore up the pass rush.
Since Aidan Hutchinson‘s injury, the Lions have really struggled to generate any pressure without blitzing, and that’s a dangerous way for a Super Bowl contender to live.
Smith immediately becomes the team‘s best pass rusher, and while he’s nowhere near as good as Hutchinson, he gives the Lions an immediate upgrade over all their other options.
Smith had 5.5 sacks in Cleveland this season, and the Lions are counting on him to continue that production throughout the second half.
Packers trade away lineman
Preston Smith hasn‘t been amazing for the Packers this season, but he’s been a regular contributor along the defensive line.
It seems a bit strange that the Packers, at 6-3, traded away a player who was in the rotation for just a seventh-round pick. Green Bay is clearly trying to make some changes to its pass rush, but it didn’t make any other moves to add to the defensive line.
Even though the Lions went into Lambeau Field and won over the weekend, they can‘t forget about the Packers just yet. The two teams will meet again next month, and the NFC North race isn’t quite over.
Commanders add cornerback
The Commanders are the surprise team in the NFC, behind only the Lions at 7-2 thanks to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
But they weren’t content to stand pat at the deadline, instead trading a package that included third- and fourth-round picks to land Marshon Lattimore from the Saints.
Lattimore is a major upgrade to the Washington secondary, and while the Lions don’t play the Commanders in the regular season, this is clearly a team they could see in the playoffs.
If so, that matchup just got a little bit tougher, as did the race for the No. 1 seed.
Other moves of note
The Cowboys made a surprise move to bring in a wide receiver, even though they’re 3-5 and just lost starting quarterback Dak Prescott for at least four weeks.
Kansas City’s trade for DeAndre Hopkins is already paying huge dividends, as he helped them win an overtime game against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.
The Vikings also added an offensive tackle and a running back last month, adding to a roster that’s already playoff-caliber.
