The Chicago Bears got some big news this morning when they saw a message from Roquan Smith demanding a trade. Smith noted in his trade request that he got a take it or leave it to offer from the front office, and he does not feel as though he will be taking it any time soon.
So, the Bears are in a spot where they will either offer him a new contract or at least start to listen to offers for trades. While both options are on the table, there is a good reason to extend Roquan Smith.
3. Chicago Bears are extending a leader
The Bears are not just extending another linebacker or another player, they are extending a leader, not just on the defense, but on the roster. When Ryan Poles was introduced as General Manager, the two players he pointed to when it comes to sending the right message in the locker room were David Montgomery and Roquan Smith.
Poles said that from afar he had known of their leadership ability. During training camp, Matt Eberflus called Roquan Smith a leader of the defense. He also said he expects Smith to remain a leader even when he is on the PUP.
Then, Jaylon Johnson was asked about his absence and he noted that it is more than just losing 1 out of the starting 11. They are losing the leader of the defense, and the person that makes things go.
This is not just about paying a linebacker. It is about paying someone who leads by example and leads in a vocal manner. This is about the team setting a tone for what type of players they want in the locker room moving forward.
2. The rest of the league is watching
The players in the locker room know that Roquan Smith is a leader. They also know this is a new regime, so every move this new group makes is going to be looked at as their standard moving forward.
So, some players could be seeing this hold-in and saying that the new regime does not value their leaders. They talk about how Smith is a key piece and should sacrifice for the team, but when it comes time to get paid, they are hardnosed and look at him just through the lens of a player who may get injured, or a player who is replaceable.
So, when it comes time for these players to negotiate with the Chicago Bears, what will they think? Will they assume the team is going to come in and make things tough on them?
Then, why would anyone give a discount to play for a team? You saw the Pittsburgh Steelers sign Diontae Johnson for under-market value and he noted that the grass is not always greener, even despite a few million dollars.
Players will sign for the Steelers because they have a history of doing the right thing by their players. They let Ben Roethlisberger have a retirement tour. The goodwill adds up.
Now, free agents, and even future deals such as Jaylon Johnson will be viewed strictly through the business lens, because they know that the Bears do not factor in things like locker room presence and leadership into negotiations.
1. Roquan Smith deserves it, Bears can afford it
You can argue that if Roquan Smith was the highest-paid linebacker In the NFL it would be a tad high. He is a clear perennial Pro Bowl player, but is just on the outside of the All-Pro discussion, even if he arguably should be right there.
Still, by almost all metrics, tape reviews, and understanding of the position it is easy to say that Smith is in the top five to ten linebackers in the NFL. The reality of what happens in the NFL is that a top-five player will often set a market.
That is because the salary cap goes up every year. So, the next year the cap will go up, a new salary will come in, and the player paid a year ago will slip down the totem pole. By the time the deal is up, the contract never looks as bad because multiple new players beat the salary, and the cap rose substantially.
In 2022, the NFL is still paying off the floor they established in 2020 due to COVID. What that means is that there is still a chance to see a big boom in the next two to three years, as they no longer have the back fees. With that in mind, a contract today will not be bad tomorrow.
As a top ten linebacker, it is pretty easy to decide to keep him. The Chicago Bears have heaps of cap space, and the free agent market is already drying up. The best thing to do with the space would be to extend your own, show goodwill, and then when the cap continues to grow, you can pay your draft picks, and also have the money to go all-in when the time calls for it.
Extending Roquan Smith will not hurt the Bears in the long term, and a couple million here and there will go further in goodwill than it will hurt the team from signing a free agent. They should extend Roquan Smith.