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The Chicago Bears are trading linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for second- and fifth-round draft picks, a source confirmed Monday.
The trade is Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ second major deal in six days. He traded defensive end Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday.
Smith, 25, was the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft by former Bears GM Ryan Pace. He has 607 tackles, 47 tackles for a loss, 16½ sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 20 passes defended and seven interceptions over 4½ seasons with the Bears.
The move to trade Smith comes after he staged a hold-in during training camp amid stalled contract negotiations. Smith made a public request for a trade, saying in a statement the team didn’t value him and refused to negotiate in good faith.
In an impromptu news conference on Aug. 9, Poles responded by saying he thought the Bears made Smith a fair offer and they still intended to sign the linebacker.
But Poles and Smith eventually came to an understanding that he would play this season for the Bears without a new contract. He leads the league with 83 tackles and also has four tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, 2½ sacks and two interceptions in eight games.
Poles had the option of using the franchise tag on Smith next season, but he obviously felt the draft capital made more sense as he builds for the future. The Bears have added three 2023 draft picks after Poles got a fourth-rounder for Quinn.
Smith and Quinn were two of four team captains this season along with quarterback Justin Fields and left guard Cody Whitehair. Smith frequently gave the pregame speeches in the huddle after warmups. Coach Matt Eberflus said safety Eddie Jackson was named a replacement captain for Quinn.
The Smith trade comes after the Bears gave up 442 yards — including 200 on the ground — in a 49-29 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Afterward, Smith was strong in his assessment of the defense.
“They had a good game plan and that’s that, but the defense, we never can allow someone to score that many points on us,” Smith said. “That’s embarrassing. So we have to look our own selves in the mirror.”
Check back for more details.
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