Bears continue roster overhaul with Roquan Smith trade
The Chicago Bears weren't done selling after all.
Less than a week after trading away veteran Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears agreed to terms on a trade that sends defensive cornerstone Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for second and fifth-round draft picks in 2023, as reported by FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer.
It comes the day before the league's Nov. 1 trade deadline and solidifies a fact that Chicago fans have known since the offseason: The Bears are rebuilding.
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Colin Cowherd reacts to the Oct. 26 Robert Quinn trade, then shares his updated Super Bowl bubble, including how this helps Philly.
Prior to training camp, Chicago let quite a few players walk in free agency. New general manager Ryan Poles then flipped multiple picks in April's draft in favor of more later-round selections. He was always stripping the team down to the studs in anticipation of a total overhaul. He just decided to hang on to some core pieces for more leverage down the line — leverage he is now cashing in on.
Smith had been a first-round pick (eighth overall) by the previous regime in 2018 and was entering the final year of his contract. When extension talks came to a standstill during camp, the veteran linebacker requested a trade.
"I thought it was very distasteful, to say the least," Smith said of the team's contract proposal, which he mentioned included de-escalators as the years progressed. "[It] wasn't what I anticipated, nor what I expected from the situation. But I'm grateful for all the loyal fans, [for] the players in the locker room and the city of Chicago that stood behind me throughout this process. It means a lot to myself."
Smith wasn't granted the trade at the time and prior to the final game of the preseason, he declared he had put it all behind him. He said he was focused on playing for his next contract and aimed to be the highest paid player at his position.
"Now, I'm just shifting my focus to the season and more so just focused on being the best teammate I can be to those guys in the locker room," he said at the time.
Through eight games, Smith's 83 tackles led the Bears and the entire league in that category. He has also recorded 2.5 sacks this season, two interceptions and three pass breakups. Smith's single-season high is 5.0 sacks, which he is currently on pace to surpass.
He was a bright spot for a Chicago defense that is giving up the second-most rushing yards per game, though it ranks fifth in passing yards allowed per game. Given Smith's involvement in the pass rush this season, his absence will undoubtedly affect one of Chicago's strengths. The question now remains how much.
The return of second- and fifth-round picks in next year's draft puts even more of a focus on 2023, and in all honesty, the deal was a savvy move by Poles. Chicago now has nine draft picks next April, including one in each round and two in rounds two, four and five. Considering Poles was able to extract four starters from this year's rookie class, the Bears should be able to make a lot of headway in the offseason.
Couple the fact they have more than double the amount of cap space as the second-highest team in the league with not having to pay Smith top linebacker money, which Spotrac estimated to be in the range of $17 million per year, the Bears can now allocate even more resources to potential big-name free agents. According to Spotrac, a post-June 1 trade of Smith leaves the Bears with $0 in dead cap money.
The intangibles of the trade, however, remain a question mark. Smith was a team captain, along with Quinn, which means Chicago has lost a significant portion of its locker room leadership. Smith was the more vocal of the two defensive captains and is a notoriously good teammate. Following the Quinn trade, Poles said that even he was hesitant to mess with the chemistry the Bears were building in the locker room, recognizing the potential fallout of making these business decisions.
Smith was emotional last week when learning of the Quinn trade in real-time in front of reporters. But perhaps Smith was not only upset to see a close friend and teammate leave. Perhaps he knew the writing was on the wall for him as well.
The 3-5 Bears play at home on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.