After the Bears' early free-agency moves, the Roquan Smith trade can be better evaluated.
When the Chicago Bears traded star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of the 2022 season, it sent a shockwave through the fan base. In his fifth season with the Bears, Smith was playing at a level that eventually resulted in First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Now just over a week into the offseason, the vision for the Bears under Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus is becoming clear. Due to his asking price and scheme fit, or lack thereof, Smith was not going to be part of it.
Not only did the Bears acquire second- and fifth-round draft picks in exchange for Smith, but the salary-cap space that opened up allowed Poles to spread the money across more positions. Tremaine Edmunds joins Chicago on a $14.6 million AAV cap hit and T.J. Edwards carries a $5 million AAV hit. After factoring in bonuses and other costs, this duo comes at about the price of what Smith would have cost.
While the salary-cap flexibility is nice, the quality of the product on the field as a unit looks about the same, if not better, according to PFF's linebacker grades.
Edmunds has been selected to two Pro Bowls and has over 100 combined tackles in each season he has been in the league. Edwards posted over 100 combined tackles in each of the past two seasons, including a career-high 159 in 2022. Simply put, the quality of the Bears' new linebacker duo should make up for losing Smith and then some.
Moving on from Roquan Smith was challenging, but it allowed Ryan Poles to sign two quality players who fit Matt Eberflus' scheme, and do so with cost-effectiveness in mind. On paper, this looks like a smart move. But of course, the results on the field will dictate if Poles' pivot was the right move.
More must-reads: