Which three NFL teams need to get the draft picks and cap space ready to make a deal for linebacker Roquan Smith? Here’s who should trade for the star LB.
So you wanted to be a general manager in the NFL, eh Ryan Poles?
The Chicago Bears have had an interesting offseason in 2022 to say the least, and rookie GM Ryan Poles is now dealing with a second very high-profile player on his defense asking for a trade.
Star linebacker Roquan Smith, a former first-round pick out of Georgia, did not like the contract he was offered by the Bears and has decided it’s time to move on.
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Will the Chicago Bears trade linebacker Roquan Smith?
The Bears don’t exactly have to give in to Roquan Smith’s demands, but if they have an idea of where they’re willing to go on a potential long-term contract and they’ve drawn a line in the sand, they should be able to get a decent value in return for Smith.
The key will be finding a team that has the draft capital, the desire to part with said draft capital, and also the financial capital to make this kind of a blockbuster trade with just weeks before the start of the 2022 regular season.
Let’s take a look at some of the top candidates to potentially trade for Roquan Smith.
Roquan Smith trade option no. 1: Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the second-most cap space in the NFL at over $23 million. That doesn’t necessarily mean much as a new deal for Roquan Smith will have an effect on future years, not just 2022.
With that being said, general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have already proven they are willing to make a blockbuster deal for the right price, pulling the trigger on a trade for Davante Adams earlier this offseason.
The defense in Las Vegas is in need of upgrades at the second and third level and a player like Roquan Smith could really be a game-changer for them.
His three-down abilities could really give the Raiders a boost and a cornerstone player along with Maxx Crosby to really build the defense around going forward.