Trades are a part of the business, and for veteran Za'Darius Smith, it was an expected part of being on a losing Cleveland Browns team with a playoff window almost completely shut with their seventh loss of the season in Week 9. Ahead of the Week 10 bye, the team made the tough decision to trade Smith to the Detroit Lions for late draft pick compensation, removing one of the defensive anchors on the defensive line.
Cleveland's defense, and specifically its defensive line, has been one of its best qualities all season long. With Myles Garrett, Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Shelby Harris up front, teams were getting swallowed up with pressure after pressure. With Smith now gone, though, the team is going to have some questions about who to put up front for the rest of the year. And, that all depends on what the team's rest of season plans are.
Read more: Winners and losers after Browns trade Za'Darius Smith to Lions
If the Browns are looking to evaluate their younger talent, then maybe they choose to ride with Isaiah McGuire for the rest of the season at starting edge on the right side. Or, if they want to opt for a veteran there instead of throwing McGuire to the wolves, they can slide Ogbo Okoronkwo over from the left to right defensive edge and have McGuire continue to back a veteran up.
Regardless, the Browns are going to be a different defense come Week 11. They are talented enough to make up for Smith's absence moving forward - and Garrett had three electrifying sacks in Week 9 that suggest he's back to full health and ready to be dominant defensively again. But you do have to wonder, if the team is willing to part with such a key defender, who else are they okay with trading for draft compensation?
Current defensive line depth for Cleveland Browns
LDE: Myles Garrett, Ogbo Okoronkwo
LDT: Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst II
RDT: Shelby Harris, Mike Hall Jr., Quinton Jefferson
RDE: Isaiah McGuire
McGuire is currently the only RDE on the team's roster. Cleveland can elevate someone from their practice squad to back him up moving forward, like how they did with Sam Kamara. Kamara was elevated last week but didn't get much action. He might need a lot more reps and preparation in the upcoming bye week to back up McGuire. It feels unlikely that Kevin Stefanski will try to flip anyone, like Okoronkwo, over to the right side to make up for Smith's production, but that is also an option if McGuire and Kamara are underwhelming in the pass rush.