A premier linebacker wants a new home.
Roquan Smith -- widely regarded inside the league as a top-five player at his position -- said in a statement that he is requesting a trade from the Chicago Bears after the front office "refused to negotiate in good faith" and "doesn't value" him.
That clicking you hear is the sound of Bears fans typing "smh" into their phones. Coming off a six-win season and processing a clear rebuild under a new front office was hard enough.
Smith, 25, is a year away from free agency and wants a new deal now. Word began to circulate last week that the Bears' contract offer was unimpressive to the player.
And now Chicago must make a decision that will challenge the direction of first-year general manager Ryan Poles: Decide to pay your best player, even if you didn't draft him, or complete the teardown by dealing another marquee defender after the Bears previously sent Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in March.
A trade request can go one of two ways: It can prompt a better contract offer from the original team (Smith's message was harsh), or it can expedite the inevitable changing of jerseys.
Either way, interest from around the league should be high. Over four seasons, Smith has reached elite status by filling up the stat sheet, with 524 tackles (43 for a loss), 14 sacks, 17 pass deflections and five interceptions. He ranked fifth in the league in tackles last season (163). He plays all three downs and impressed in coverage.
When I asked a high-ranking NFL exec which teams should or will be interested, the response was, "31 teams. The guy is a baller."
But this is not an easy trade to execute, because top off-ball linebackers earn $20 million annually now, and many teams don't believe in paying that much. The Chargers sent a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 sixth-rounder to the Bears in return for Mack, but teams I've talked to think it will be hard for Chicago to get the same return for Smith. A separate exec said a third-round pick is reasonable trade compensation for Smith, given the money the new team would need to pay him, but figures the Bears would need much more in return to part with a marquee player in his prime.
Mack played a premium position and had a more manageable contract, which the Chargers were able to restructure. There simply aren't many off-ball linebacker comps to help determine the market for Smith.
In spite of those realities, we checked in with league personnel to get opinions on where Smith might end up if the Bears honor his request.
Seattle Seahawks
This is a team a few league execs mentioned this morning. Seattle's defensive coaching staff has strong Chicago ties. Assistant head coach for defense Sean Desai was Smith's coordinator last season, and Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt was in Chicago before joining Pete Carroll's staff.
Smith is well regarded as a player in Seattle, an organization that has shown willingness to make the splashy deal in the past. The Seahawks are armed with multiple first- and second-round picks next year as part of the Russell Wilson trade.
The flip side: Seattle seems eager to use those picks to bolster a roster that will need a long-term solution at quarterback. After years of swinging trades for veteran stars, Seattle finally regained draft capital. It would hurt to give it away again. And Seattle has two young linebackers it likes in Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton, part of the reason the team opted to release veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner in March.
Kansas City Chiefs
Calls between general managers to gauge interest are easy, and Poles spent years under Chiefs GM Brett Veach before landing the Chicago job. It doesn't hurt either side to check in, though the Chiefs are happy with their linebacker tandem of Nick Bolton and Willie Gay, who are on infinitely cheaper contracts than Smith will be.
Roughly 15% of the team's overall salary cap is dedicated to the defensive back seven ($32.3 million), so allocating a big contract to a linebacker wouldn't hinder the franchise.
Atlanta Falcons
Since the Falcons hired Ryan Pace -- the man who drafted Smith in 2018 as Bears GM -- as a senior personnel executive, they've signed three former Bears in free agency. Maybe that's coincidence, but it seems Atlanta's brain trust values Pace's opinion. And Pace's opinion of Smith is believed to be high.
The Falcons are also devoid of premier defensive talent, save A.J. Terrell and Grady Jarrett. Smith could be a pillar for years to come.
Miami Dolphins
Miami comes up in conversation because the Dolphins were believed to be high on Smith in the pre-draft process in 2018. They aren't afraid of the big trade (see: Hill, Tyreek) and have $19.5 million in cap space. They are lacking a marquee guy in the middle of the defense to complement their cornerstone pieces elsewhere.
Then again, Miami is suddenly short on draft capital after the league stripped the team of a first-round pick last week.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have been actively searching for linebacker help. General manager George Paton faced Smith twice a year while a Vikings executive until 2021. He knows well what the player can do. He also isn't keen on giving up draft picks, especially after the Russell Wilson deal drained capital. But the fit would make a lot of sense.
Los Angeles Chargers
One hurdle here is the Chargers have their own negotiation to worry about as they try to close out a deal with star safety Derwin James. They also have a heavy payroll with eight different players carrying a cap hit of $8-plus million in 2022. But head coach Brandon Staley's connection with Smith from their Chicago days together, coupled with the Chargers' win-now approach with Justin Herbert on a rookie contract, makes them a team to consider.
Detroit Lions
The Lions like their team more than most around the league like Detroit, and believe they can make noise in the short term. The defense needs marquee players. But sharing a division with Chicago could be a non-starter from a trade perspective, and Detroit might be a year away from making this sort of splash move.
Washington Commanders
A few league sources are pushing Washington as a good fit. Talented former first-round pick Jamin Davis is the starter at middle linebacker, but if Smith has the flexibility to play at either middle or outside linebacker, he could help take Washington's defense over the top. Ron Rivera knows the power of a heady playmaker at the position from his days with Luke Kuechly.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens courted Bobby Wagner in free agency, and though Smith would cost more, he's also seven years younger than Wagner and could pair with Patrick Queen as game-wreckers in the middle. Scouts see this as a scheme fit, with Smith's makeup playing to Baltimore's AFC North toughness quotient.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have been prudent in their pursuit of talent, prioritizing homegrown talent in recent years. But it's hard to ignore Smith's fit in the defense, as scouts and execs see it, because Leighton Vander Esch's one-year, $2 million deal signed in March suggests he's not the long-term answer, and Micah Parsons is considered too good of a pass-rusher to stay at linebacker for too long. The Cowboys did sign Anthony Barr at the position last week.