Roquan Smith wants the Chicago Bears to trade him, and the Detroit Lions should be near the front of the line among potential suitors.
The contract dispute between linebacker Roquan Smith and the Chicago Bears has ramped up. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the former top-10 pick has requested a trade.
Unfortunately, the new front office regime doesn’t value me here,” Smith wrote. “They’ve refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been ‘take it or leave it.’ The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I’ve been trying to get something done that’s fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.
It seems the Bears have not made Smith a serious long-term contract offer. Rapoport further reported the offer the team made was backloaded and included de-escalators the likes of which are not in any other non-quarterback contract of the magnitude Smith is in line for ($15-plus million per year).
Smith is set to make $9.7 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract on a fifth-year option.
Smith has been on the PUP list early in Bears’ training camp, but in the midst of the contract dispute he was not planning to practice–a “hold-in” as it were, to avoid fines.
Smith set a career-high with 163 total tackles last year, with 12 tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception (which he returned for a touchdown). He has earned second-team All-Pro nods in each of the last two seasons.
NFL rumors: Detroit Lions should be a top suitor for Roquan Smith
Surface statistics shine positive light on Smith, while Pro Football Focus was less complementary of his work last year (a 67.2 overall grade). But he would immediately become the Lions’ best linebacker.
The Bears may be hesitant to trade Smith within their division, lest they face a good player motivated to prove them foolish twice a year for awhile. But if general manager Brad Holmes is willing to part with a high draft pick or two, the Lions can make an attention-demanding offer.
If the Bears simply want to rid themselves of a potential headache and a player they don’t seem to value, it may not take a high draft pick to get Smith.
Of course acquiring Smith comes with the virtually automatic move of giving him a long-term contract.
Without further moves to create space, the Lions barely have enough cap space ($9.9 million, according to Over the Cap) to take on Smith’s 2022 salary. But things look better after that, when a new deal for Smith would start–2023 would be his age-26 season, so a lucrative multi-year deal probably wouldn’t look bad at the end.
As much as the Lions’ coaching staff wants believe in their current group of linebackers, the chance to add someone of Smith’s caliber cannot be ignored. Holmes should be ready to pick up the phone and call Bears general manager Ryan Poles, and if his offer is rejected it should only be for reasons he can’t control.