The Chicago Bears were giving out treats in the form of star players on Halloween as they traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for a second and fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as veteran linebacker A.J. Klein. The trade was general manager Ryan Poles’ latest and arguably most notable attempt yet at rebuilding the roster for the future. It’s the second deal the Bears have made in a week after trading defensive end Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles last Wednesday in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Entering the 2022 season, Smith was viewed as the unequivocal leader of the defensive unit after other veterans such as Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks moved on to other teams. But Smith and Poles got off to a rocky start due to a standoff with a contract extension. Smith was entering the final year of his rookie contract and wanted to be paid top dollar, but he and Poles couldn’t agree on a figure and Smith held out of most of training camp before returning just before the start of the regular season.
