5 biggest takeaways from 2024 NFL trade deadline

#3 Lions make most obvious move of 2024 midseason

Za'Darius Smith returns to the NFC North to replace Aidan Hutchinson at Lions - Source: Getty

Heading into the trade deadline, the Detroit Lions were in a quandary. They no longer had Aidan Hutchinson yet were in the midst of a title push. They badly needed an elite pass-rusher to sustain this run, but fortunately one team was willing to listen.

The Cleveland Browns have been collapsing hard. Deshaun Watson playing poorly? Amari Cooper being offloaded to the Buffalo Bills? It's as if they cannot wait for a new era to come, so they took the bait. Za'Darius Smith gets to contribute immediately, and Andrew Berry has some new assets with which to restock.