Bears continue roster review with Roquan Smith trade

After all, the Chicago Bears weren’t sold out.

As FOX reported, less than a week after trading veteran Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears are trading a second- and fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft. The Baltimore Ravens have agreed on terms to send key player Lokan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens.Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer.

That’s a day before the league’s Nov. 1 trade deadline, solidifying a fact Chicago fans have known since the offseason: the Bears are rebuilding.

Prior to training camp, Chicago walked quite a few players through free agency. New general manager Ryan Pauls has since flipped multiple picks in the April draft in favor of later-round selections. I was. He has just decided to stick with some core pieces for even more leverage going forward.

Smith was selected by the previous administration in the first round (8th overall) in 2018 and was entering the final year of his contract. When extension talks stalled during camp, the veteran linebacker requested a trade.

“I found it very uncomfortable to say the least,” Smith said of the team’s contract offer. “[It] It wasn’t what I expected, nor what I expected from the circumstances. But thank you to all of our loyal fans. [for] The locker room and the players in the city of Chicago who stood behind me during this process. It means a lot to me. ”

Smith had not been cleared for a trade at the time and declared he had put everything behind him before the final game of the preseason. He said he wanted to be the highest paid player in his position.

“Now I’m shifting my focus to the season and being the best teammate for those in the locker room.

Through eight games, Smith’s 83 tackles led the Bears and the league overall in that category. He also has 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 3 passes his breakup this season. Smith’s 1 best record for the season was his 5.0 sacks, which he is now on pace to surpass.

He was a bright spot for the Chicago defense, which, although ranked fifth in passing yards per game, gives up the second-most rushing yards per game. His absence will undoubtedly affect one of Chicago’s strengths, given the involvement of The question now remains how long.

The return of second- and fifth-round picks in next year’s Draft will make 2023 even more exciting. Chicago now has his nine draft picks next April. This includes one man in each round and two him in rounds 2, 4 and 5. The Bears should be able to make a lot of progress in the offseason, considering that Pauls was able to pick up four starters from the rookie class this year.

Consider the fact that they have more than double the cap space of the league’s second-highest team, and that they don’t have to pay for Smith’s top linebacker, which Spotrac estimates is in the $17 million range per year. Combined, the Bears now allocate more resources to potential big-name free agents. According to Spotrac, Smith’s post-June 1 trade will put the Bears’ dead cap on his money at $0.

But trade intangibles remain a question mark. Smith was the captain of the team along with Quinn. This means Chicago has lost a good chunk of its locker room leadership. Smith is the more vocal and infamous teammate of his two defensive captains. After the Quinn trade, Pauls said he was hesitant to ruin the chemistry the Bears had built in the locker room.

Smith got emotional when he learned of Quinn’s deal in real time in front of reporters last week. But perhaps Smith wasn’t just upset to see his close friend and teammate leave, perhaps he knew the writing was hanging on the wall for him too. .

The 3-5 Bears will face the Miami Dolphins at home on Sunday.

Carmen Vitali covers NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen previously played for Draft Network and Tampa Bay He was with the Buccaneers. She spent her six her seasons with the Bucks, and in 2020 the title of Super Bowl her champion (and boat her parade participant) was added to her resume. You can follow Carmen on her Twitter. @CarmieV.

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