Trading Roquan Smith felt almost inevitable after extension talks fell through. It was evident that Ryan Poles didn’t like how the star linebacker conducted himself during negotiations. He felt talks were fair and open the entire time, then Smith took his grievances to the media and asked for a trade. The Chicago Bears GM never forgot that. Two months later, he gave Smith what he wanted by sending him to the Baltimore Ravens for 2nd and 5th round picks.
The truth is good teams don’t pay linebackers record-setting deals. That is what Smith wanted. Poles wasn’t willing to go there. Part of it is because he wants to shift the money to more premium positions like pass rusher, cornerback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle. However, there also might be an underlying confidence at Halas Hall that they can find a suitable replacement for Smith at a more reasonable price. One source told me a name the team is extremely high on is T.J. Edwards.
Extend T.J. Edwards man.
Dude is an absolute stud!#Eaglespic.twitter.com/MW6To37XOC
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) October 2, 2022
#Eagles T.J. Edwards with his second career interception! pic.twitter.com/dHuzPeHgNn
— Eagles Nation (7-0) (@PHLEaglesNation) November 21, 2021
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Edwards has played every bit as well as Roquan Smith.
Through seven games, the linebacker has 68 tackles, two sacks, and five passes defended. He brings all the versatility a team could want at the position. He can blitz or drop into coverage. The Bears should already know a lot about him. Assistant GM Ian Cunningham was in Philadelphia when the Eagles signed Edwards as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He watched the linebacker grow into an excellent starter and understands what he can bring to the Bears’ defense.
Even better is the fact he’s from Lake Villa, Illinois. He grew up in the shadow of Chicago. Coming home to join the Bears while getting a big payday is an easy sell. While Roquan Smith may garner $20 million per year, Edwards would likely be closer to $14-15 million. That would keep plenty of money free to throw at other positions for the Bears. It comes down to whether Philadelphia tries to keep him. They have multiple players on their roster that need extensions besides him. They also drafted Nakobe Dean in the 3rd round, so they have a potential replacement waiting in the wings.
Players should never represent themselves. The team sits down with an agent and the agent exaggerates the players value and the team points out his weaknesses. They then negotiate. They are used to this. Players take the criticism personally and that creates huge problems with further negotiations. Players almost always get insulted and say the team is unfair and is acting in bad faith. Also, these are football players. They are not lawyers or accountants. They don’t usually understand the nuances of contract structure, guaranteed money, options, and the hundreds of other details that make up multi-million dollar negotiations. Roquan… Read more »
I have to agree with Thomas. Quan held out twice over the timeframe of his rookie deal. Dude is difficult and really appears to have unrealistic expectations about what he’s worth.
Who else remembers that Roquan held out over his rookie contract? Maybe he was just too much to deal with? I loved his play and am semi-sad to see him go. Do I think it is a mistake? I’m not knowledgeable to decide. But, a consideration might be toleration of bad attitude being carried forward in the locker-room. Future will tell.
Poles shouldn’t personalize conflicts with 25-year-old employees. They say things then they get over it. An older GM would know that.
Draft and develop. Draft and develop the easier positions to fill.