The media in general around the NFL continue to have a hard time putting proper respect on Roquan Smith. Here’s a guy who was in the running for Rookie of the Year in 2018. Then he had good enough numbers to not only make the Pro Bowl in 2020 but make All-Pro as well. It is a shame he continues to be overlooked outside of Chicago. However, it appears not only Bears fans have taken notice of him.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler got in touch with several NFL executives, coaches, and players and polled them with a simple question. Who do they think are the best linebackers in the league right now. There were some unsurprising members of the top 5 like Bobby Wagner, Fred Warner, and Darius Leonard. Then, sitting right there at #6, was Smith. It appears the actual people who get paid to be in the league have greater respect for him than the media does.
They had plenty of good things to say too.
“He put it all together,” a Pro Bowl defensive player said. “Run fits, active in the run, pass, sacks, very disruptive. Came downhill. Ton of [tackles for loss]. You noticed gradual improvement.”
Smith’s ability to crash lanes on the way to the quarterback was elite. His 18 TFLs ranked second in the NFL to outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
“He’s got the instincts, physical tackler, complete linebacker,” a prominent NFL coach said of the 6-foot, 230-pounder. “What doesn’t he have? Size — could be a little bit bigger, more range, taller, but that’s it.”
One person feeling good about this is GM Ryan Pace. He was developing an ugly with his 1st round picks since arriving in 2015. First was Kevin White, then Leonard Floyd, and Mitch Trubisky after that. All three proved to be disappointments to varying degrees. Smith looks like the first player taken that high by Pace who is a genuine stud. Somebody the team will be able to build around moving forward.
The next step in the process is determining his financial future. The Bears have already picked up his 5th-year option. So Smith is under contract through 2022. However, it’s reasonable to assume the team would like to get him locked up for longer before then. That is what this coming season will determine. Depending on how he performs, it will offer an idea of the kind of money Chicago needs to secure him to an extension.
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Roquan Smith is poised for a huge season
Everything is lined up. He’s coming off the best year of his career. This despite not having a full offseason to prepare in 2020. Not only will he be fully ramped up this time, but he’ll also have some reinforcements returning as well. This in the form of nose tackle Eddie Goldman. His presence in the middle should eat up more blocks from offensive linemen, enabling Smith to wreak havoc on ball carriers.
Throw in the fact he’s playing for a big contract extension? Roquan Smith should deliver his finest season as a pro. Presuming he stays healthy, of course. Las Vegas even thinks he might have underrated odds for Defensive Player of the Year. That is a nice nod of respect too. The big unknown in all of this is new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. He’s never run a defense before so there isn’t much certainty on how he’ll use the inside linebackers.
One can presume it will be similar to Vic Fangio.
If so, then Smith will be just fine. The Bears are going to need him at his best this year. They have a lot of uncertainty in other parts of their defense. Especially the secondary. The better he plays, the more it should ease the burden on them. Chicago needs him to become that superstar of the future. It is time. Being 6th is great. Being #1 would be better.