Former Kentucky Wildcats star gets dream move in NFL Trade deadline deal

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone with lots of activity and excitement. As NFL contenders looked to bolster their rosters, teams struggling to compete found ways to look to the future. Two moves involved former Kentucky Wildcat stars, and one of them went from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best.

Za'Darius Smith, a standout pass rusher for the Kentucky Wildcats, has found a home for the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens and spent four years there. He then went to Green Bay for three years and had a stint in Minnesota with the Vikings before signing with the Browns. At the deadline, he was shipped to the Detroit Lions, back to the colors he looks the best in - blue and white.

It's a dream scenario for Smith, as he spends his 10th year in the league, to go from a team that was struggling to find any semblance of a win to a contender. He went from a team with 2 wins to a team with only 1 loss. This is a dream move. He joins another former Wildcat on the defensive line, Joshua Pachal.

Smith has 65 sacks in his career and has five this season with the Browns. The Lions' social media team posted highlights of all of those sacks:

It is a move that is praised around the NFL for both teams as Cleveland is able to add future picks, and the Lions can pick up a big-time pass rusher. The head coach of the Lions, Dan Campbell, said of the move, "[Smith is a] violent player. We’re excited to have him. He’ll be good for us.” The analysts are praising the play of Smith and the Lion's addition of him. Here is Emmanuel Acho breaking down Smith's tape.

Mike Edwards to the Tennessee Titans

The second move that happened with a former Wildcat is Mike Edwards signing to play for the Tennessee Titans. This one wasn't a trade, but it is related to the deadline. Edwards was released by the Buffalo Bills, and Tennessee needed to add another safety due to injury. Edwards has gotten very little playing time in Buffalo, and it will be a good move for him to join the Titans.