Analyst: LB Roquan Smith should be 'long-term centerpiece' of Ravens defense

The Baltimore Ravens paid a hefty price to acquire linebacker Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears at the end of October. Seven games into his tenure with the team, the move appears to be paying off.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox agrees, declaring in a recent column that Smith should be the focal point of the Ravens defense and the team would be wise to build around him.

“After notching his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2022, Smith should be viewed as a long-term centerpiece,” Knox wrote. “Under no circumstances should the Ravens allow Smith to test free agency. He has a projected market value of $17.4 million annually, and he could see substantially more if he becomes available. Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard is getting $19.7 million annually — the highest rate among inside linebackers — and one could argue that Smith is just as valuable.”

Smith’s net contract will likely make him one of, if not the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL. Spotrac projects Smith’s market value at $17.4 million per season, which would make him the third-highest-paid inside linebacker in the league behind Indianapolis’ Shaq Leonard ($19.7 million per year) and San Francisco’s Fred Warner ($19 million per year).