The Chicago Bears know they have something special in Roquan Smith. It’s why they took him #8 overall in April and why they were so patient in working through the contract holdout that cost him training camp and the preseason. It was felt he had a chance to become a star in the Vic Fangio defense and time is proving them correct.
At least it appears that way to people who have watched him extensively this year. His range, his instinct, and his knack for finding the football are evident on every snap. Yet somehow the young man can’t even get a modest nod from the national media in regards to the ongoing Defensive Rookie of the Year race.
Dan Graziano of ESPN made that clear with his list of top contenders. There were some obvious choices like Derwin James of the Chargers, Darius Leonard of the Colts, and Leighton Vander Esche of the Cowboys. All have played extremely well this year. Bradley Chubb in Denver was another.
Then things got…questionable.
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Roquan Smith left off list for an uneven corner and a punter. Seriously
The first iffy addition was Denzel Ward. The #4 overall pick in Cleveland has been good at cornerback for Cleveland this year. At times. Though he has three interceptions in 2018, two of them came in the first game of the season. He’s had one since then while allowing three touchdowns by opposing quarterbacks. Four in all. As for his run defense? Forget it. He’s missed 10 tackles this year. Second-most among rookie corners.
Smith has missed nine and he plays the run way more often than Ward does. He also leads all rookie linebackers with 18 stops for a loss or no gain and is second with four sacks, trailing only Leonard. This in addition to his 81 tackles overall. Yet even then it’s tolerable. Where things got stupid was the other name on the list: Seahawks punter Michael Dickson.
“There’s no Special Teams Rookie of the Year award, but if there were you’d have to give it to this guy. He leads the NFL in net punting average (44.02 yards). He’s third with 10 punts inside the 10-yard line and a legitimate, difference-making weapon on special teams for a Seattle team that has ground its way to a 6-5 record so far.”
Okay. So what does all of that have to do with the Defensive Rookie award? That’s where he was placed. If you want Dickson to be acknowledged then create your own Special Teams Rookie of the Year award. He doesn’t play defense. Smith does and he’s doing it at a level that deserves recognition. Especially given the setbacks he went through at the start of the year.
Then again, why should anybody be surprised? ESPN has refused to acknowledge the Bears all season. This is just more of the same.
