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It was already shaping up to be a long season for fans of the
Chicago Bears. The team is coming off a six-win campaign and possesses (on paper)
arguably the NFL’s most punchless offense. In the last set of NFL
Power Rankings here at Bleacher Report, the Bears checked in 15th in the
NFC and 30th overall.
Well, as the saying goes, “Things are never so bad they can’t be made worse.” That’s what
happened in the Windy City on Tuesday, when maybe the best player on the roster
requested a trade.
Losing inside linebacker Roquan Smith would be a major short-term blow on the field, but it’s also a trade that could
land the rebuilding Bears some high-end draft capital. If the 25-year-old is hellbent on leaving town, the next step for both player and team is figuring out
who is interested enough in Smith to make trading him worthwhile—and what they
might be willing to give up.
With Smith heading into the fifth and final season of his
rookie contract, there has been no shortage of rumblings about the negotiations
on an extension. On July 26, new Bears general manager Ryan Poles tried to put
a positive spin on negotiations with Smith while speaking to reporters:
“My feelings for Roquan don’t change at all. I love the player and the person. And that won’t change. The
one thing I’ll ask everyone here, I know I’m going to get a lot of questions
and I get it. I’m just not going to talk about contracts and all that, so I
wanted to just make sure we addressed it though. In terms of my feelings for
him, nothing changes.”
Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
But things were apparently anything but positive given the
scathing statement Smith penned Tuesday.
“The new front office regime doesn’t value me
here. 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.
“I wanted to be a Bear for my entire career, help this
team bring a (Super Bowl) back to our city. However, they have left me no
choice than to request a trade that allows me to play for an organization that
truly values what I bring to the table.”
To be fair, he left the door open for the relationship to be
mended, and it’s possible Smith (who has no agent) is trying to gain
leverage via public support. But at face value, his statement says, “Get
me out of here.”
Losing Smith would be a massive hit for a team that
can’t afford those this year if it’s even going to feign competitiveness.
Smith has topped 100 total tackles in all four of his professional seasons, adding 14 sacks and five interceptions. Last year, he was fifth in the league
with 163 total tackles and had a passer
rating against in coverage of just 76.8.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Athlon Sports
ranked Smith its No. 7 linebacker last month, noting:
“While he can roam sideline to sideline, Smith is also an
underappreciated blitzer who times up his rushes well. He’s also durable,
playing more than 1,000 snaps each of the past two seasons. Heading into 2022
under another defensive coaching regime, Smith should be the focal point of a
rebuilt Bears defense.”
Of course, that’s part of the problem for Smith. The NFL
just doesn’t value off-ball linebackers the way it does cornerbacks or
edge-rushers. Per
Spotrac, the seventh-highest-paid inside linebacker in the league is Bobby
Wagner of the Rams, who averages $10 million per season.
At 32, Wagner is much older
than Smith—but he’s also much more accomplished and is only in Los Angeles after the Seahawks released him because of his high salary. Only
two off-ball linebackers in the league make over $15 million in
average annual salary.
For a trade to be viable, the Bears need a
partner with the cap space to absorb a Smith extension, a need at linebacker
glaring enough to consider paying Smith and the impetus to give up not only
all that cash but also quite a bit of draft capital.
It’s not a long list. But there are a few teams
that come to mind.
Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have made it abundantly clear that
they are all-in on making a deep playoff run in 2022. That became
evident when the team traded for star wide receiver Davante Adams. But even
after giving Adams a massive $140 million extension, the Raiders are still sitting on $22.3 million in cap space.
Only the Cleveland Browns have more.
The Raiders have no shortage of offensive talent, but the
team’s 19th-ranked run defense is another story. Denzel Perryman had by far the
best year of his professional career in 2021, but it marked the first time in
seven years that he had even 75 tackles in a season. Youngster Divine Deablo
is a converted safety, and free-agent addition Jayon Brown fell out of favor in
Tennessee last year.
Adding Smith wouldn’t be cheap, in terms of pick(s) or salary. But if he’s the missing piece in the puzzle that gets the Raiders into
their first Super Bowl since 2002, no one will care even a little what it costs.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Raiders aren’t the only team in the AFC West that has
shoved their chips to the middle of the table this year. The Chargers did the
same, trading with (coincidentally) the Bears for edge-rusher Khalil Mack and
signing cornerback J.C. Jackson in free agency. That spending spree leaves the
Chargers with just under $15 million in cap space.
Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images
Some wiggle room would need to be cleared to fit Smith under
the cap, but it could be done easily enough.
The Chargers may have bolstered their pass rush and
secondary this offseason, but the run defense remains a potential problem.
In 2021, only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans allowed more rushing
yards per game than the 138.9 the Bolts surrendered.
Kenneth Murray has never come close to living up to his
first-round draft slot over his two years in the pros. Drue Tranquill is a
capable linebacker, but he’s not a difference-maker. Linebacker is the clear
weak spot on the Chargers new-look defense—a weakness that Smith’s addition
would turn into a strength.
Dallas Cowboys
There are a couple of annual constants about the Dallas
Cowboys. The team enters each season with one goal in mind: winning the
Super Bowl. Jerry Jones has never been even a little bit shy about making splash
moves, either.
Also, as it happens, there isn’t a team in the NFC that is
sitting on more cap space than the $21.6 million the Cowboys possess.
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Yes, Dallas already has one star linebacker in
reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons. But even with Parsons on
the roster, the Cowboys were just a middling defense against the run—16th in
the league at 112.8 yards allowed per game.
After suffering numerous injuries, Leighton Vander Esch
doesn’t have the range he once did. Jabril Cox is a Day 3 pick coming off an
ACL tear. Pairing Smith and Parsons would give Dallas the most formidable duo of
inside linebackers in the league—and potentially shift the balance of power
back in their favor in the NFC East.
Stats via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted. Salary-cap info via Over the Cap.
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