3 Random thoughts on the Chicago Bears trading away Roquan Smith

Ryan Poles is making the Chicago Bears trade deadline look like a national holiday here in Chicago. Not only has he made one trade, but he made a second trade that now moves both of the team’s defensive captains off the unit in less than two weeks. Robert Quinn was traded to the Eagles last week and now Roquan Smith is on the move to Baltimore. Matt Eberflus will have to announce another new defensive captain as Eddie Jackson was notified he’d take Quinn’s spot.

I am trying to give myself time to think this through and therefore, this article is probably going to sound more like a jumble of thoughts of a person working through the move in their mind rather than a collected and focused piece on specific areas.

The Chicago Bears are making moves, but are they the right moves?

I’m not ready to say that I am happy about this trade. I’m also not disappointed. I can see both sides and I’m still on the fence. At some point, I’ll have to declare what I think, but I do know that before the season started, my mind was set on the idea that if Ryan Poles couldn’t get at least a first-round pick for Roquan Smith, it would be a bad deal. It’s way too soon to declare that and I am working my way toward saying, look, I was wrong.

Part of my admitting I was wrong has to do with how Roquan Smith handled the negotiations this summer. Not having an agent is clearly a downside for him, even if he doesn’t want to see it that way. His actions weren’t awful and I appreciated the fact he reported to camp every day. However, this is the second time he has created an issue with contracts — see his rookie season.

If rumors are true that Ryan Poles offered Smith a number similar to Fred Warner, then Smith being sent for a second-round pick, fifth-round pick and linebacker, A.J. Klein makes absolute sense. Especially, when the team trading for Roquan Smith also has to now turn around and negotiate a contract or franchise tag Smith next year. Good luck doing that while also negotiating with Lamar Jackson.

Alright, here are three random thoughts on this deal.