Washington Commanders: Roquan Smith needs to be discussed, heavily

On Tuesday it was reported that Chicago Bears’ linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade. The Washington Commanders need to pursue him.

On Tuesday, we found out that Chicago Bears’ linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network posted the statement from Smith on Twitter.

And this brings up a pretty obvious point. The Washington Commanders need to discuss trading for Smith. They need to do more than that, they need to inquire about it. And if the price is high, you still need to consider it.

The Washington Commanders have one of the worst linebacker groups in the NFL. It is their biggest glaring weakness. Cole Holcomb is solid. Outside of that, they really don’t have anything. Jamin Davis looked solid the last few games of his rookie season. Most of the year was a disaster for him though, and he looked lost.

David Mayo came in and looked decent. But the fact that fans were calling for him to start should tell you what you need to know about the situation. Mayo is an eight-year pro with 170 tackles and two sacks in his career. Not someone you bring in to start.

Meanwhile, Roquan Smith is in the elite tier at linebacker. Last season, he racked up 163 tackles (12 for loss). Smith also posted three sacks, three pass deflections, and one interception (which he returned 53 yards for a touchdown.

In his four-year career, Smith has managed at least 100 tackles in every season. He has 14 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, 17 pass deflections, and five interceptions in that time.

He’s also just 25. You make this trade. Smith automatically makes the team better. Suddenly your biggest weakness on defense isn’t really a weakness anymore. You have one of the best players at the position on your team. And at 25, you can work on a big contract to keep him in Washington for a long time.

Yes, the price tag for Roquan Smith is not going to be light. But you give up a first-rounder for him without hesitation. This is an already established star player who has years to go.

The Washington Commanders have a great defense on paper for the most part. That defensive line is unreal. They have some nice pieces in the secondary as well. But there are some holes in the secondary. And the black hole that is the linebacker corps really brings them down.

You throw Smith into the mix, and everything looks better. Even the secondary will improve thanks to them getting more help in different areas of the game from Smith. He helps with run defense, pass rush, and coverage. That makes everyone better.

The Washington Commanders have potential to be one of the better defenses in football this year. But they need to overcome some issues. With Roquan Smith they will be one of the best defenses in football. Call the Chicago Bears now. Find out the price for Smith, and pay it.