BEREA – The dots are easy to connect.

The Lions lost standout pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. The Browns are 1-5, have 32-year-old edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and traded Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper to the Bills on Tuesday.

Smith had been mentioned by the national media as a potential trade target for the Lions, but he had not seen his name being discussed nor was he thinking about the possibility.

“I didn’t even know about it,” Smith, a three-time Pro Bowler, told The Chronicle-Telegram on Thursday.

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His focus is on helping the Browns break their four-game losing streak Sunday against the Bengals.

“Sure, definitely, definitely,” he said. “I’m staying positive and hoping we get a win this week and get back on track.”

But the idea of ​​joining a Super Bowl contender like the Lions, who lost in the NFC Championship Game last year and are 4-1, intrigued Smith.

“It’s a shame an injury happened to him, a guy who was on his way to potentially being Defensive Player of the Year,” he said of Hutchinson. “This is a big loss for them.

“But if I went to Detroit, I would like it because I get to play Green Bay twice a year and the Vikings twice a year. So, yeah, it’s going to be big.”

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Smith was traded from the Vikings to the Browns in the 2023 offseason. He previously played for the Packers and would welcome a revenge tour of the NFC North.

Smith signed a two-year, $23 million contract in March with $12 million guaranteed to remain in Cleveland. If the Browns continue to lose and decide to make further moves before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, he would fit the profile of a player they would consider for a draft pick.

“You know what, that’s not my decision. That’s all above,” Smith said. “I would rather you ask her what that would be.”

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Smith has three sacks this year and 63 in his career, including three double-digit seasons. He reiterated that he was focused on redressing the balance with the Browns, but let his thoughts wander to the Lions.

“I’m staying positive, but now that you say that, maybe things are looking good, feeling good for me,” he said.

Brown is a writer for The Chronicle-Telegram and The Medina Gazette. Proud graduate of Northwestern University. Husband and stepfather. Avid golfer who needs to hit the range to achieve a single-digit handicap. Right about Johnny Manziel, wrong about Brandon Weeden. Contact Scott at 440-329-7253 or email him and follow him on and Twitter.