Detroit, MI

Za’Darius Smith trade: Grading the Detroit Lions’ move

Published

2 years ago

November 5, 2024

Za’Darius Smith trade: Grading the Detroit Lions’ move

It took a while to hammer out the details, but the Detroit Lions finally got a deal done before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith is heading to Detroit after agreeing to a trade.

Let’s break down the trade and offer an overall grade for the move.

Terms

As a reminder, here’s what it cost to acquire:

Lions get:

Za’Darius Smith
2026 seventh-round pick

Browns get:

2025 fifth-round pick
2026 sixth-round pick

It became clear over the past few days that the Browns wanted a fourth-round pick, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes stood pat and found an alternate way of giving the Browns more than a fifth-round pick.

But was it really that much more than a fifth-round pick? Remember, the Lions are almost certainly headed toward the playoffs this year, and hoping for a deep run. That means this fifth-round pick is going to be late in the round. Tacking on a swap of 2026 picks doesn’t feel all that important, particularly because Holmes isn’t losing a pick in that draft, simply downgrading it. And if the Browns follow on their current trajectory, is a Lions sixth-round pick in 2026 going to be that far off from a Browns seventh-round pick?

Last week, the Chiefs traded for Josh Uche for a 2026 sixth-round pick. While the cost here is more, Uche is on an expiring contract and is nowhere near the player (or the fit) that Smith is.

Terms grade: A

Financial cost

The financial cost for the Lions is almost none. Detroit only has to pick up the remaining prorated salary for 2024 ($605,000).

If Detroit wants to keep Smith around for 2025, it’s a little more complicated. He has a $1.5 million salary, a $5.592 million option bonus that hits the cap over three voided years, a $2 million roster bonus, and in-game bonuses of $510,000 total.

So, in short, it would cost them around $9.6 million in cash, but the cap hits would be spread out. He’d cost around $5.4 million against the cap in 2025, and when his contract automatically voids in 2026, Detroit would incur about $4.2 million in dead cap.

If Detroit opts not to keep him around for 2025, they can cut him before the option and roster bonus hit, leaving them with zero dead cap on their books.

Finances grade: A+

Schematic fit

The Lions like their defensive ends big and physical. Well, let me introduce you to 6-foot-4, 270-pound Za’Darius Smith. While at 32 years old, he’s not at his athletic peak anymore, he’s still got some pass moves to counter his power moves. Miss the Aidan Hutchinson spin move? I’ve got some good news:

Perhaps more importantly, Smith is a willing and able edge setter. Over the last five games, the Lions defense has uncharacteristically struggled, allowing 124.2 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. Smith has a solid PFF run defense grade of 65.9 this season. Comparatively speaking, here’s how other Lions defensive ends grade out in run defense:

James Houston: 32.0
Al-Quadin Muhammad: 41.9
Isaiah Thomas: 55.0

Additionally, Smith can move all around the defensive line. Take this snippet from this week’s Pride of Detroit Direct newsletter, via Fantasy Points’ Brett Whitefield:

“He is a guy you can scheme up to get optimal looks. This year alone he has lined up from a 3-point stance, in wide-9, all the way inside at 3-technique, and everything in between. He can rush from a 2-point stance while over a tight end. He has been excellent kicking inside from a 2-point stance rushing as a “mug” LB rusher in either the A gap or B gap. He has been great on stunts, twists, and delays, and you can even play him in this SAM LB role the Lions have tried with the likes of Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske.”

Schematic fit grade: A

Talent

Is this a trade on the level of Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett? Obviously not. Is Smith at the apex of his career? No. But for what basically amounts to a mid-Day 3 pick, Smith is about as good as you can get.

That said, temper your expectations a bit. Smith is not going to be a double-digit sack guy in Detroit. There are valid questions to be had about whether he can keep up his production without Garrett taking up attention on the other side of the line. And even playing alongside strong teammates in Cleveland, Smith had two or fewer pressures in five of nine games this year.

Of course, he also has at least five pressures in three of those five games. He will also benefit from DJ Reader and Alim McNeill eating up space in the middle. If Smith gets more attention in Detroit, it could free up McNeill, Reader, or Josh Paschal to make plays—and they’ve all proven capable of winning their one-on-ones.

Smith isn’t playing the best football of his career, but he’s an above-average starter, he’s still capable of playing 60-70% of snaps a game, and he’s a veteran who can even help out Detroit’s young room.

Talent grade: B

Overall

There’s a reason why the Lions’ EDGE search seemed hyper-focused on Smith. He’s an ideal fit, a balanced player, and a Dan Campbell guy—all at an extremely affordable price both in terms of draft picks and cap hit.

Overall grade: A

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Detroit, MI

Detroit archdiocese releases last proposed parish Mass stoppages. List hits 90

Published

10 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Detroit archdiocese releases last proposed parish Mass stoppages. List hits 90

The list of Catholic parishes targeted for the possible stoppage of weekend Masses has grown to about 90 parishes across southeast Michigan, according to the latest proposed models the Archdiocese of Detroit has released as part of its major restructuring process.

The archdiocese released on Thursday the models for potential parish groupings for the six remaining planning areas in the archdiocese, and 32 parishes wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models. Previously released models showed that 58 other parishes could stop holding weekend Mass.

The Archdiocese of Detroit recently completed listening sessions meant to garner feedback on the models, but parishioners can still share input through a survey that is open until July 31.

The archdiocese has been divided into 15 planning areas, or geographic areas, and three or four models are being proposed for each planning area, said the Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The models have different proposed groupings of parishes ― called pastorates ― in which a grouping would share a pastor and potentially other priests. In some cases, selected churches in the grouping would no longer hold Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass.

The models released on Thursday are for planning areas 6, 7, 8, 11, 14 and 15, which include parts of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and parishes in St. Clair and Lapeer counties.

Sixteen of the parishes wouldn’t have weekend Mass under any of the models, including St. Alphonsus-Clement Parish in Dearborn, Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Redford Township and Our Lady of Hope Parish in St. Clair Shores.

The models are part of the archdiocese’s biggest restructuring plan in years. Announced last fall, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said the archdiocese can’t maintain the roughly 200 existing parish buildings and is working to “right-size” the archdiocese, along with its personnel and financial resources.

Holly Fournier, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Detroit, emphasized that the models are just draft proposals “intended to solicit feedback from parishioners.” She said no decisions have been made regarding pastorate groupings, weekend Mass schedules or any other aspect of the restructuring process.

The Rev. Mario Amore, executive director of parish renewal for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said in May that parishioners understand that the archdiocese “needs to do something” about its challenges. But when it becomes personal for people, it’s “very difficult,” he said.

“And there’s a lot of human emotions, and … we need to honor that,” Amore said. “We need to be attentive to that, and no one’s saying that it’s an easy process, and it’s not a process that … we’re happy that we need to undertake, but it is one that we do need to undertake.”

What the latest Wayne County models show

Planning Area 6, which is in the southern section of Wayne County, excluding the Downriver area, includes 16 parishes. Eight of them would stop holding Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass under at least one of the models for the planning area.

They include St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy in Westland, St. Richard in Westland, St. Aloysius in Romulus, St. Sabina in Dearborn Heights, St. Linus in Dearborn Heights, Divine Child in Dearborn, St. Alphonsus -St. Clement in Dearborn and St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Dearborn.

Planning Area 7, which includes the northwest portion of Wayne County, has 15 parishes, four of which wouldn’t hold weekend Mass under at least one model. They include Our Lady of Loretto in Redford Township, St. John XXIII in Redford Township, St. Priscilla in Livonia and Resurrection in Canton Township.

What the latest Oakland and Macomb Co. models show

Planning Area 8, which is in southern Oakland County, has 13 parishes, six of which wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one of the models. They include St. William in Walled Lake, St. Gerald in Farmington, Prince of Peace in West Bloomfield, St. Joseph in South Lyon, Church of the Transfiguration in Southfield and Our Lady of Albanians in Southfield.

Planning Area 11, which includes the southeastern section of Macomb County, the Grosse Pointe communities and one parish in Detroit, has 14 parishes. Seven of them wouldn’t have weekend Mass under at least one model. They include Our Lady of Hope in St. Clair Shores, St. Lucy in St. Clair Shores, St. Basil the Great in Eastpointe, St. Margaret of Scotland in St. Clair Shores, Holy Innocents-St. Barnabas in Roseville, St. Matthew in Detroit and St. Clare of Montefalco in Grosse Pointe Park.

What the models in St. Clair, Lapeer counties show

Planning Area 14, which is in St. Clair County, has 12 parishes, five of which wouldn’t have Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass in at least one model. They include Sacred Heart in Yale, St. Edward on the Lake in Lakeport, Holy Trinity in Port Huron, St. Christopher in Marysville and Immaculate Conception in Ira Township.

Planning Area 15, which is in Lapeer County and part of northern Macomb County, includes ten parishes. Two wouldn’t hold weekend Mass under at least one model. They include St. Mary Burnside in North Branch and St. Cornelius in Dryden.

asnabes@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

This Detroit steakhouse used to serve thousands a night in its heyday

Published

20 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

This Detroit steakhouse used to serve thousands a night in its heyday

Carl’s Chop House, 3020 Grand River in Detroit, 1923-2008

It was one of the most prominent restaurants in Detroit throughout the 20th century. Carl’s Chop House served Detroit for decades, from the Great Depression through the new Millennium.

Founder Carl Rosenfield first opened as the Grand River Chophouse in the early 1920s and he moved the business across the street and renamed it Carl’s in the 1930s. The often-repeated story goes that he won the full ownership of a bar from his partner in a poker game and turned it into Carl’s Chop House.

Prior to his restaurant success, Rosenfield was a well-known tire merchant. At one point, Rosenfield also owned a lighthouse near Port Sanilac.

As a restaurateur, Rosenfield persevered through many trials, including the Great Depression and a beef shortage during World War II, which left the steakhouse to serve chicken, lobster, sturgeon and “a lot of fish I never heard of,” he was quoted as saying.

A sirloin steak dinner was $1 when Carl’s Chop House opened.

By the 1960s, business was booming, and the restaurant was serving thousands of customers daily and had plans to expand the 850-seat dining room to 1,200. By then, steak dinners were up to $6.

They bounced up to $10 in the 1970s when longtime Detroit News restaurant reporter and critic Molly Abraham included Carl’s in a column, pointing out that even though the restaurant was a bit out of fashion — it had been open for more than 50 years by then — she describes the place as having “an infectiously festive, informal atmosphere.”

Along with the steaks, convivial atmosphere and firm handshakes, Carl’s Chop House was known for always being open, even on Sundays. The only day of the year it was closed was Christmas Day, Dec. 25, which was also Rosenfield’s birthday.

Rosenfield, who would support local farmers by purchasing cattle and other livestock from the Michigan State Fair, was still working at the restaurant in the 1980s when he was in his 90s. He died in 1991 at age 95.

The new owners of Carl’s Chop House ushered it into the next century for another generation to enjoy.

It wasn’t the same without its namesake proprietor, who was known for an absolutely crushing handshake, however. In 2008, owner Frank Passalacqua filed an application with the state for a topless permit, hoping to turn the property, which was now a neighbor of MotorCity Casino, from a steakhouse to a strip club.

Passalacqua, who was more successful at Mario’s Italian restaurant in the Cass Corridor, said he was losing $1 million a year on Carl’s. The gentleman’s club idea never materialized. Carl’s closed in 2008 and the building was demolished in 2010.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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