Ranking The Likeliest Roquan Smith Trade Destinations

The primary goal for the Chicago Bears remains the same. They want to keep Roquan Smith. He is their best player and has earned an extension. It is unfortunate how things have unfolded. Smith has no agent and has tried to handle negotiations himself. That hasn’t gone well, leading to his official request for a trade. While the odds of it happening still appear long, the possibility exists.

GM Ryan Poles already showed he is willing to make bold moves when he traded Khalil Mack earlier in the off-season. This situation is obviously different. Smith is much younger, with his prime still ahead of him. At the same time, Poles said he would do what was best for the Bears. If he feels this situation is becoming more trouble than it’s worth, he has shown the willingness to make the hard decisions.

So if a trade is on the table, it is time to explore what happens next.

If a Roquan Smith trade happens, watch these teams.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Three things are required for a trade like this to become possible: draft picks, money, and interest in the player. Seattle has or should have all three. They have four picks in the first two rounds of the 2023 draft and are projected to have $40 million in cap space next year. Last but not least, they’re switching to a 3-4 defense under Clint Hurtt. None of their current linebackers have played in that scheme before. Smith has, and new assistant coach Sean Desai knows this. It is a natural fit. No team makes more sense from every angle.

2. New England Patriots

This would be a classic Bill Belichick move. He has a long history of trading relatively cheap draft picks for great players. He traded 2nd and 4th round picks for Wes Welker. He traded a 2nd round pick for Corey Dillon. Both became vital contributors to excellent Patriots teams. They will have over $47 million in cap space next year, so money isn’t a huge issue. Lastly, he’d be a massive upgrade over any inside linebacker they have on the roster, such as Ja’Whaun Bentley or Mack Wilson. New England doesn’t have many young studs to build around on defense.

3. Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones is never shy of making bold moves. Dallas is a team that many rumors have connected to Roquan Smith. They have uncertainty at the position. Leighton Vander-Esch hasn’t been the same for a few years. Anthony Barr is getting along in age. Micah Parsons is a superstar, but there is a strong belief the team would prefer moving him to defensive end. Adding Smith would give them the excuse to make that move permanent. The problem is money. Dallas will be over the cap next off-season, so they would have to jump through significant financial hoops to make this work.

4. Atlanta Falcons

Ryan Pace drafted Smith in 2018. He is now a senior executive with the Falcons. Atlanta has signed several former Bears already over the past couple of off-seasons. So the connection is an obvious one to make. Another key factor is they, too, have shifted to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Dean Pees. His options at linebacker are not the best. Smith would be a great fit in that aggressive system, and the Falcons will have $41 million in cap space next year to handle his contract.