4 reasons Chicago Bears trading Roquan Smith makes sense

3. Linebackers can be replaced easier than other positions

As noted in the previous slide, drafting a linebacker in the first round rarely works out. Even when it does, it can be short-lived. Still, there are plenty of good linebackers, so where do they come from? That is the reality, that you can find them cheap, and a lot of them are plug and play.

The Baltimore Ravens are a perfect example. They drafted Patrick Queen in the first round, and he is losing snaps to Josh Bynes, a veteran that is available every summer. Tremaine Edmunds is in contract negotiations similar to Roquan Smith, while fifth-round Matt Milano was already extended. Still, the first year after Milano was extended, he missed time.

The Packers signed De’Vondre Campbell last year as a free agent at a bargain price and he made the All-Pro over Roquan Smith. TJ Edwards and David Long are up-and-coming players and Edwards was a UDFA while Long was a sixth-round pick.

Bynes, Long, Edwards, Campbell, and Milano can be found every year. It is a deeper position and one where you can find healthy players with good instincts who know how to tackle. For as good as Roquan Smith is, the cost of him, compared to the cost of some of these other players is a big gap.