Will Chicago Bears fans forgive Ryan Poles if he trades Roquan Smith?

Chicago Bears social media is a fickle area to be involved with during the offseason. Fans are always filled with hope — even during a rebuilding year that doesn’t look promising at all. I try to be objective as someone who covers the team, but I am a Chicago Bears fan at heart as well. It pains me every year to see the Green Bay Packers dominate the NFC North while the Bears struggle to remain above the Vikings and Lions. Yes, without Roquan Smith, this team could struggle against even the Lions.

As I have said many times, Ryan Poles was the guy I wanted. We need to try and give him time to build things thing up from scratch. The problem is, I haven’t agreed with every move he’s made or not made. How will Chicago Bears fans take it if Poles trades away arguably the best player on the team? Roquan Smith was supposed to be the face of the defense for the next five years at least. Instead, he’s now requesting a trade and has made it known that the new regime isn’t valuing him the way he believes he should be valued.

Will the Chicago Bears trade Roquan Smith after he requests a trade?

If the Chicago Bears trade Roquan Smith, the return should be solid. Smith is one of the best linebackers in the NFL, but apparently, this regime undervalues him in a similar way the NFL undervalues him. Smith hasn’t received the same accolades as guys like Fred Warner and Darius Leonard, but he should have to some degree. I’ve covered it already and you can read how Smith has been better than Warner over the last two years.

Obviously, if the Chicago Bears net a high return of picks or a combination of picks and a player, fans might be willing to forgive Ryan Poles for a move like this. However, if you trade away a top-five player at any position and don’t hit on all of those draft picks, I guarantee you that pitch forks will be out later. Hope is only good for a couple of months for Chicago Bears fans and then doom and gloom sets in rather quickly. We have seen this team fail and live in mediocrity for too long.

I am not going to make a declaration based on this current situation. That said, if Roquan Smith is traded and Ryan Poles does not receive a top offensive player in return, I’ll be disappointed. If Roquan Smith is traded and Poles does not receive a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft along with an additional pick later or in 2024, I will call the move a failure. Just find a way to pay Roquan Smith somewhere in between Fred Warner and Darius Leonard. If he’s asking for more, then incentivize the deal to be worth more than Leonard’s.

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With the most salary cap heading into 2023, there’s no reason to not pay a 25-year-old superstar. This is getting ugly fast. Who do you support? Are you okay with the Chicago Bears trading Roquan Smith or will you finally admit that Ryan Poles made an error in judgment?