5 early winners at Chicago Bears OTAs
2. Roquan Smith and David Montgomery
This is not the summer that David Montgomery and Roquan Smith prepare to move up the depth chart or find themselves in a bigger role. However, this is the year that they take over as leaders of their respective units.
Both of them spoke in-depth about their plans to take on a vocal role now that both feel that they have reached veteran status and are respected by their peers.
“You can’t be a half-assed leader. You got to be a full-on leader ... “
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) June 4, 2021
My column on the Bears’ new emerging leaders: Roquan Smith and David Montgomery.
https://t.co/F13tmDPxcL
This is a big year for Roquan Smith. He has his fifth-year option but could get a serious payday at the end of this season if he takes steps on and off of the field. When Smith took over as a play-caller he had a bit of a bump in the road but started to play his best ball late in the season.
Now, Smith should be comfortable in that role and is looking to be the man that teammates look to on defense. The same can be said with Montgomery.
As a running back, Montgomery has to see the value across the NFL landscape. However, if he takes that step as a player that cannot be replaced in the locker room, he will easily earn an extension as well. With Hicks and Trevathan aging, and a quarterback room in flux, these two are ready to be the leaders.