The Chicago Bears and 1st Round pick, Roquan Smith, have yet to come to a contract agreement. It’s not time to panic just yet.
Roquan Smith will be expected to make a major impact at some point during his rookie season. The Chicago Bears didn’t use the No. 8 overall pick on an inside linebacker for him to ride the bench.
Right now, the biggest headline surrounding Smith is the fact he has yet to sign a contract. Things are starting to get a little more serious with training camp right around the corner.
Any time a rookie misses training camp practices it will stunt his growth. For Smith, it will mean less time to climb the depth chart and develop a feel for the new defensive system. He also needs to worry about developing a relationship with his teammates.
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However, this isn’t really the end of the world for the Bears. They have solid depth at inside linebacker where Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski can hold down the fort.
Kwiatkoski is the one who will need to fend Smith off once he gets into camp. Trevathan is a veteran presence and someone who performs at a very high level when healthy. The issue is he has struggle to stay on the field throughout his career.
Another reason Chicago should start to panic about Smith’s contract situation is because of the position he plays. The inside linebacker position isn’t overly complex and it won’t take a ton of time for Smith to get up to speed.
He has already gone through the rookie minicamp and likely has received the basic playbook.
So, while this situation isn’t ideal it’s far from a major issue. The Bears have some time before it becomes a more critical situation.