Chicago Bears: Over/Under 129 tackles for Roquan Smith?

Is 129 tackles a reasonable projection for Chicago Bears second-year linebacker Roquan Smith?

Remember when fans were freaking out about Roquan Smith missing his first training camp due to a holdout? Those worries were quickly washed away as Smith jumped into the starting lineup by Week 2 and consistently ascended from there.

Now, entering year two in the NFL, the expectations should be even higher. After posting 120 tackles as a rookie, should he see an increase closer to 130? Mike Clay of ESPN.com seems to think so.

In his yearly projections, he has Smith pegged for 129 tackles next season, a slight increase from the year before.

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Considering where Smith is in his career, a step forward would be expected. He is in for a full offseason, training camp, and preseason. On top of that, he already knows about the speed of the NFL, and the speed of the playoffs in the NFL.

Things should be moving slower, he should be more comfortable, and he should be on the same page with his teammates, who were strangers just last year.

Smith has a chance to step into the playcalling job next season and is expected for him to do so. Smith was drafted because of his speed, but also his processing ability. He is always there before the ball because he is reacting faster than others.

Putting him in this spot will give him more freedom to roam and make plays, and it should assert his alpha nature in the running game.

Look for Smith to improve in tackles in 2019, but also improve in tackles for loss and other areas as he reminds many why he was taken over Darius Leonard and Leighton Vander Esch.

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