Roquan Smith requests trade

[AZ54]

3 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

Its just a negotiating tactic. If they didnt get together, his only option is to play. He would lose this yr if not on the field. and then go free agency. He wants to be the highest paid ILB. I dont want him gone but a top 5 LB , he's not the best. Leonard has 15 sacks, 26 PD, 11 int and 17 forced fumbles. Roquan has 14 sacks, 16 PD, 5 int, and 1 FF. I can see why Poles would not want to pay him the same as Leonard. 

...and Roquan had an offense that provided him more opportunities to make plays on defense.  

[Stinger226]

I would say the Bears defense was on the field more often because of bad offenses. The one key for me is forced fumbles. One compared to `17. Now i will say because the Bears were easy to run on so the PDs and Int would be affected but forced fumbles are related to just hitting and effective tackling. 

[BearFan PHX]

15 hours ago, killakrzydav said:

I’m not interested in paying a LB big money. Trade him

I agree. You cant pay every position top three money. Youd run out of cap space. And I dont think LB is the place to blow your $. This is another Pace issue.

Get some draft value for him, and let him move on.

[adam]

Roquan removed from PUP:

That can only mean one of three things, an extension is imminent, a trade is imminent, or they are now forcing his hand (fines?) after being nice by allowing him to be on the PUP. 

[BearFan PHX]

3 hours ago, adam said:

Roquan removed from PUP:

That can only mean one of three things, an extension is imminent, a trade is imminent, or they are now forcing his hand (fines?) after being nice by allowing him to be on the PUP. 

Yes, pay the fines. I think that's the deal. If trades or extensions were imminent, there would be no need to take him off of PUP first?

[Mongo3451]

29 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

Yes, pay the fines. I think that's the deal. If trades or extensions were imminent, there would be no need to take him off of PUP first?

This.  They told him shit's about to get real...

[Pixote]

I can understand taking him off the PUP and I assume enforcing the daily fines. The Bears tried to give him what they thought was a fair contract. While doing so they covered his ass so he wouldn't have to pay fines for not practicing with his teammates despite being scheduled to make almost 10M on his rookie contract. So to repay Poles and the Bears for this kind gesture, saving him (?) 40K per day he makes a public demand for a trade saying he isn't being offered respect. 

I hope things get worked out, but until things are resolved, he can pay the fines. 

A 1sr & 3rd rounder would be fine by me. 

[Mongo3451]

1 hour ago, Pixote said:

A 1sr & 3rd rounder would be fine by me. 

Poles would be walking on water upon this...?

[AZ54]

18 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

I would say the Bears defense was on the field more often because of bad offenses. The one key for me is forced fumbles. One compared to `17. Now i will say because the Bears were easy to run on so the PDs and Int would be affected but forced fumbles are related to just hitting and effective tackling. 

Pretty much what I was saying albeit with a bit of sarcasm.  

[AZ54]

1 hour ago, Mongo3451 said:

Poles would be walking on water upon this...?

Hey Ryan, this is Ryan from the Chicago Bears.  Interested in Teven and/or Roquan?    

[AZ54]

3 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

This.  They told him shit's about to get real...

Can't trade an injured player.   Well you can but if Poles is intent on maximizing value he's not going to advertise that Roquan is injured.  I also think if a player wants a trade then they shouldn't be in camp.  We're building something for the future, send him home because you can't allow him to hang around camp and bad mouth management.   

Both parties can continue to negotiate if they choose and Roquan can pursue his contract aspirations elsewhere.  No better way to find out what your market value is than to be on the market.  He'd be far better off seeking his new dream team if he had an agent working for him.  They know how to work things behind the scenes and they can also quietly figure out your market value through their contacts before you blow up publicly against your current team.  

[killakrzydav]

They should call Dallas immediately. Jimmy Jones loves him some high class Linebackers

[Alaskan Grizzly]

I’m in the minority here as I say ‘pay him’.  Sure I don’t know what he think he’s worth or what’s going on in negotiations.  But he’s performing at a high level and should be paid accordingly.  He was drafted as a first rounder and has performed at or above that level since arriving.  Just a few months ago several listed him as a core player as the team does a remodel.  Meaning (at least to me) that you give him him what he needs to help the team make that transition.  On top of that, he wants to be here.  
 

I see this talk of trade similar to how the Greg Olsen deal went down, not good.  Securing more draft picks does nothing more than secure picks of unknown potential.  With Roquan we already know what his value to the team is . 

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

I’m in the minority here as I say ‘pay him’.  Sure I don’t know what he think he’s worth or what’s going on in negotiations.  But he’s performing at a high level and should be paid accordingly.  He was drafted as a first rounder and has performed at or above that level since arriving.  Just a few months ago several listed him as a core player as the team does a remodel.  Meaning (at least to me) that you give him him what he needs to help the team make that transition.  On top of that, he wants to be here.  
 

I see this talk of trade similar to how the Greg Olsen deal went down, not good.  Securing more draft picks does nothing more than secure picks of unknown potential.  With Roquan we already know what his value to the team is . 

It's a fair point. If someone is performing at a top level, they do deserve top level money. But the problem is you simply cant afford to have every position filled by a top player getting top money and still fit under the cap. So you have to decide where to put that money. Since LBs, RBs and S are people with normal sized bodies, there are more of them around. Yes a real difference maker is always rare, but the next guy down is likely to be a better athlete, than say, at OLT where you need to find athletes who are also 6' 6" and 350 pounds.

I dont deny Smith is a great LB about to become a superstar. Im just not sure that spending the big money on defense ought to go to the LB position. Especially after all the head games (two holdouts and a week he just took off during the season). Also he's not even going to play MLB, but the Lance Briggs spot in this cover 2. Briggs wasnt a #1 pick. He wasnt even a #2 pick, he went in the third round.

If we can get a first and a third for Roquan, Id do that now. It's not like we are a player away from a Superbowl.

If Poles can fit him under the cap long term, then great. But if he wants to trade him, and can get good value, I'm ALL for it.

Find me a dominant 3T like Warren Sapp, and pay that guy.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

45 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

It's a fair point. If someone is performing at a top level, they do deserve top level money. But the problem is you simply cant afford to have every position filled by a top player getting top money and still fit under the cap. So you have to decide where to put that money. Since LBs, RBs and S are people with normal sized bodies, there are more of them around. Yes a real difference maker is always rare, but the next guy down is likely to be a better athlete, than say, at OLT where you need to find athletes who are also 6' 6" and 350 pounds.

I dont deny Smith is a great LB about to become a superstar. Im just not sure that spending the big money on defense ought to go to the LB position. Especially after all the head games (two holdouts and a week he just took off during the season). Also he's not even going to play MLB, but the Lance Briggs spot in this cover 2. Briggs wasnt a #1 pick. He wasnt even a #2 pick, he went in the third round.

If we can get a first and a third for Roquan, Id do that now. It's not like we are a player away from a Superbowl.

If Poles can fit him under the cap long term, then great. But if he wants to trade him, and can get good value, I'm ALL for it.

Find me a dominant 3T like Warren Sapp, and pay that guy.

Is Roquan a Ray Lewis talent that can lead a defense to Superbowls? If so, you do your best to sign him.  If not, we have a headache because who else would trade high picks and then have to sign him to the highest ILB salary to make him happy.

[Daventry]

This guy pulled a stunt early on in his time here and he is obviously a bit strange to think that he doesn’t need an agent to manage his affairs like most everyone else.  Then he puts out that ignorant press statement.  I hope he is gone even if we don’t get what we want for him.  I don’t want to cheer for prima donnas like that.  And, who needs to pay for a top 5 ILB who wants to be paid like the best?  The position doesn’t warrant the money 

[BearFan PHX]

2 hours ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

Is Roquan a Ray Lewis talent that can lead a defense to Superbowls? If so, you do your best to sign him.  If not, we have a headache because who else would trade high picks and then have to sign him to the highest ILB salary to make him happy.

Yes youre totally right. If Roquan is Ray Lewis, you pay him. For sure. But Ray Lewis was a leader in ways that I dont think Roquan is. Roquan has tons of physical talent, no doubt, but hes held out twice, and even skipped a game and left the team for a week. He has not yet been to a single Pro Bowl. Hes fast and good, he has a ton of talent, he may even be one of the best LBers in the league, but he isnt Ray Lewis, and so if Poles decides to trade him, Im good with it, assuming we get at least a first round pick for him.

[BearFan PHX]

6 minutes ago, Daventry said:

This guy pulled a stunt early on in his time here and he is obviously a bit strange to think that he doesn’t need an agent to manage his affairs like most everyone else.  Then he puts out that ignorant press statement.  I hope he is gone even if we don’t get what we want for him.  I don’t want to cheer for prima donnas like that.  And, who needs to pay for a top 5 ILB who wants to be paid like the best?  The position doesn’t warrant the money 

well said, and more concisely than i have managed here LOL

[AZ54]

He requests a trade then shows up to watch practice?  

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/lists/bears-training-camp-takeaways-day-13/

For awhile there, Roquan Smith wasn’t present at practice. But he showed up with defensive tackle Angelo Blackson during the session, where he proceeded to watch from the sideline.

Head coach Matt Eberflus wasn’t happy about it. Following practice, Eberflus was asked if he knew why Smith wasn’t practicing.

“The reason why for that is you’ll have to ask him,” Eberflus said. “We expect all our healthy players to practice.”

[Stinger226]

The stumbling block in these negotiations is Smith wants to be the highest paid ILB. He was wants to do it for the LB group, in other words to keep setting the standard for more money. I want him playing here,, but he doesn't deserved to be the highest paid. If Poles gives in, every contract from here out will never be fair contracts but hold outs. His stats puts him in top 5 but he should make more than Warner but not Leonard. That would be between 21 and 33 mil guaranteed. Offer 30 mil and 93 mil total . It stays under the Leonard contract and is fair to Smith. They both save face. I doubt Smith agrees with that. What team is going to trade a 1st round pick and then pay the biggest ILB contract, no one. I'm on Poles side of this argument.

[Mongo3451]

20 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

The stumbling block in these negotiations is Smith wants to be the highest paid ILB. He was wants to do it for the LB group, in other words to keep setting the standard for more money. I want him playing here,, but he doesn't deserved to be the highest paid. If Poles gives in, every contract from here out will never be fair contracts but hold outs. His stats puts him in top 5 but he should make more than Warner but not Leonard. That would be between 21 and 33 mil guaranteed. Offer 30 mil and 93 mil total . It stays under the Leonard contract and is fair to Smith. They both save face. I doubt Smith agrees with that. What team is going to trade a 1st round pick and then pay the biggest ILB contract, no one. I'm on Poles side of this argument.

Well put.  I heard the same thing about him trying to raise the level of ILB pay and gotta call complete BS.  He wants paid, plain and simple.  Roquan keeps coming up with emotional reasons to hold out.  It was just like his rookie deal.  This is not a stand to beat the man situation here, as linebackers have been getting paid for decades.  Maybe he should start his form of TE U and see if anyone follows.  It's his time to get paid, but dude know when you're outgunned.

[Connorbear]

2 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

Well put.  I heard the same thing about him trying to raise the level of ILB pay and gotta call complete BS.  He wants paid, plain and simple.  Roquan keeps coming up with emotional reasons to hold out.  It was just like his rookie deal.  This is not a stand to beat the man situation here, as linebackers have been getting paid for decades.  Maybe he should start his form of TE U and see if anyone follows.  It's his time to get paid, but dude know when you're outgunned.

I'm to the point where I say you make a final offer and tell him take or leave it. If he says no then trade him and move on. He's a very good LB (not a great one) and is not worth the headache. 

Another note - You can see Eberflus is to the point where he doesn't want to deal with this anymore. I actually feel bad he's the middle man on this. Poles needs to tell the media that all questions about Roquan will be addressed by him until the contract situation is resolved. Eberflus needs to concentrate on the players he has available. 

Peace

 

[Bill]

51 minutes ago, Connorbear said:

I'm to the point where I say you make a final offer and tell him take or leave it. If he says no then trade him and move on. He's a very good LB (not a great one) and is not worth the headache. 

Another note - You can see Eberflus is to the point where he doesn't want to deal with this anymore. I actually feel bad he's the middle man on this. Poles needs to tell the media that all questions about Roquan will be addressed by him until the contract situation is resolved. Eberflus needs to concentrate on the players he has available. 

Peace

 

The way Poles sounded in his last presser and the way they now have him back in practice I feel like they have given him his best and final offer.  Balls in his court so to say.

[AZ54]

Roquan is really in over his head.  Go get an agent.  

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2022/08/12/bears-roquan-smith-someone-calling-teams-to-gauge-trade-interest/

[adam]

Now this:

Talk about some bad judgment. Next Roquan is going to operate on himself to remove his appendix, will do his own taxes, and represent himself in court. Dude, just get an agent.

He is about to lose more money than he would've if he just paid an agent 5%.