It’s often easy for a player to become bitter about his former team after getting traded. They take such things personally, viewing it as a betrayal and a smack in the face. Roquan Smith is a proud athlete. He has an ego as anybody else does. He wanted to stay with the Chicago Bears long-term and build the foundation of a possible Hall of Fame career. Instead, GM Ryan Poles wasn’t willing to meet his contract demands. So the Bears sent him to the Baltimore Ravens for 2nd and 5th round picks.
Smith eventually got his massive contract and is preparing for the next phase of his career. One would think he’d take his opportunities to badmouth the Bears organization when asked about it. In truth, that hasn’t been the case. The NFL draft approaches this month. Georgia figures to be well-represented in the first two rounds after claiming their second national championship. Edge rusher Nolan Smith is one of those top prospects. He asked Roquan about Chicago. The All-Pro linebacker was nothing but complementary, as Smith revealed on Football Night In Chicago.
Roquan Smith kept his resentment exclusive to the team brass.
He always stated that his teammates, coaches, and trainers in the organization were outstanding to him during his time there. There was never a problem in that regard. All of his problems were centered around the contentious negotiations with Poles and the front office. Nobody can say Smith was squeaky clean during that process. He resorted to some underhanded tactics while trying to get the Bears to fold. That included some not-so-subtle shots in the media at Poles. Sadly, this is part of the game.
It’s a classy move by the linebacker to keep his personal feelings out of such matters. Things may not have ended well, but the Bears always treated Roquan Smith professionally. He was beloved by fans in the city. They were willing to give him a large contract extension. It just didn’t reach the numbers he wanted. That is no reason to tell young players like Nolan that the organization is rotten.
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