Bears GM Ryan Poles ‘disappointed’ by Roquan Smith trade request, maintains goal of signing him

Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith lines up during a game. (Jason Behnken/AP)

Hours after Bears linebacker Roquan Smith turned up the heat in his contract dispute with the team by publicly requesting a trade and even appealing to chairman George McCaskey to intervene in negotiations, general manager Ryan Poles said he still intends to sign Smith to a new deal.

“Right now, my intentions are to sign Roquan to this team,” Poles said after practice Tuesday. “We’re gonna take it day-by-day. At the end of the day, we’ve gotta do what’s best for this organization, but my intentions are to make sure Roquan Smith’s on this team.”