When the Chicago Bears sent linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens, it sent shockwaves in the NFL world.
Trading a former first-round pick and defensive cornerstone for a second and fifth-round pick was very odd.
With Smith being 25-years-old, he had plenty of time to keep dominating on defense.
However, the Bears felt the need to trade the young star, with him being in the final year of his rookie contract.
Despite having plenty of cap room in 2023, the team never gave him an extension.
This confuses fans, as they saw Smith as an anchor for the Bears defense.
But was there a deeper plan behind the Bears trading him to the Ravens?
Ravens Make For A Great Trade Partner If Bears Want Smith Back
During the preseason, general manager Ryan Poles had plenty of love for Smith and wanted him to stay in Chicago.
Bears GM Ryan Poles today on Roquan Smith situation.
“No real update on that front. I love the player and what he does on the field.”
**Poles reiterating that they would like Roquan smith to be in Chicago, and that this is a unique situation.
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) August 13, 2022
However, he sent him to Baltimore, despite everything he previously said to people.
But if the Bears want Smith back, trading him to Baltimore was the perfect thing to do.
With Lamar Jackson's contract uncertainty, pretty safe to say the Ravens won't tag Roquan Smith after this season.
They can get a compensatory pick back if he walks after this season and signs a big enough deal elsewhere.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) October 31, 2022
They know about Lamar Jackson‘s contract issues, and how he wants guaranteed money.
With the Ravens 2023 cap space being an issue, they can’t keep Smith if they tag Jackson for $40 million.
A tag of that amount will put the Ravens 2023 cap space in a crunch.
However, if Jackson gets a fully guaranteed contract, it can still be pricey for 2023.
These things point to the Ravens having to let one of the two star players go.
With Jackson being the face of the Ravens franchise, it will probably be Smith that they release.
If this happens, the Bears might get their star player back, making their trade a steal.
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