This is the guy we should be watching. Not only would he help generate a pass rush, he also plays solid run defense (better than Reddick at least).
He should also be fairly cheap compensation wise. I’m thinking he can be had for a 6th rounder.
Z and Crosby. Eff them picks.
He could be realistic for a 4th…
2026? 4th still seems high to me but beggars can’t he choosers.
If we do get him I hope we’re open minded about how we deploy him. Whenever I watched him in his peak he was absolutely lethal on the inside. Especially when he was upright in an A gap.
So on third downs, Levi in the base end or as a 5T. Josh in Aiden’s spot, Alim on the inside and Z’adariis as a chess piece that you move up and down the line?
Yea i dunno bro, i have heaed a 4th could get it done…all speculation.
4th because the browns just resigned him and gave him a nice signing bonus
Sounds like he likes the idea of coming here.
This is the guy I think we’re going to get somehow
They just converted like 15m of Cooper’s salary to a signing bonus and still sold him off for a high 3rd. Cooper is a significantly more valuable player at this juncture IMO.
Idk, maybe a conditional 5th. If he hits 8 sacks for us then it’s a 4. Something like that.
Or maybe a 4 with a '26 6th coming back or something.
Ultimately I’m probably stressing too much about small stuff but I hate having a gap from pick 60ish to 160ish.
I’d hope that he could be had for less but a 4th wouldn’t be terrible I suppose.
I will say that I expect Za’Darius to be on the high end of the type of player that Holmes is willing to pay for and I bet that a significant portion of the fanbase will be pissed about it. I loved him a couple of years ago but not sure that he has much pass rush ability left in him.
He would be 2nd in sacks on this team with 3 this year so far
Didn’t Cleveland trade a 5th round pick for him last year?
Seems like we wouldn’t have to pay more than that a year later.
4th rounder and I’m in… Or a 3rd in 2026.
We are loaded at DT… Smith might be rejuvenated playing beside Reader…Alim and Levi. He does have pass rushing skill
The Bills are going to give up a high 3rd?
Cleveland was able to get him for a 5th because they basically ate all of his cap hit that year, the Cowboys didn’t want his cap charge.
The reason he was able to fetch a 3rd is because Cleveland basically ate all of his 2024 cap with that restructure which means the team that traded for him acquired him for basically a vet minimum cap charge
As all of this pertains to the Lions we have the cap to eat any of our targets cap charge. The question is does Brad want to eat more cap charge and give a lower pick or eat less and a send a better pick.
Sorry. Meant low 3rd. I had typed high 4th initially bc they were getting something back. Then realized it would still be a low 4th and didn’t edit properly.
Right. They’re getting Cooper at 800k for the year and only had to give up pick 90 something in all likelihood. Pick 130 for Smith seems steep.