Roquan Daevon Smith is an American football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Have a look on his biography.

Roquan Smith : Trade Rumors | 40 time | Pff | college

Smith attended Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia, where he played football for the Bulldogs.

Roquan Smith : Trade Rumors | 40 time | Pff | college

Personal information
Born: April 8, 1997 (age 25)
Mount Vernon, Georgia
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
   High school:     Macon County
(Montezuma, Georgia)
College: Georgia (2015–2017)
NFL Draft: 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8        

He originally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play college football but changed his commitment to the University of Georgia.

Smith was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Roquan Smith Trade Rumors

Amid Roquan Smith’s request for the Bears to trade him, Chicago took the linebacker off the PUP list.

Smith was originally put on the list as he was not willing to practice as he looks for a new contract.

The linebacker isn’t injured, but putting him on the PUP list meant the Bears had to pay him his entire salary.

Now that Smith is off the list, Chicago can fine him $40,000 for not practicing while he awaits a new contract or a trade, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

Smith first requested a trade from the team on Tuesday, as he doesn’t believe the team values him enough.

“They’ve refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been ‘take it or leave it’,” Smith said. “The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it.

I’ve been trying to get something done that’s fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.”

40 time

Roquan Smith came into the NFL Combine considered the top inside linebacker in this year’s draft.

Smith also arrived at 236 pounds, 11 pounds heavier than he was listed during his time at Georgia.

So many wanted to see if Smith, known for his sideline-to-sideline athleticism, could showcase that speed at a heavier weight. Smith did that on Sunday with a solid official time of 4.51 seconds.

Roquan Smith : Trade Rumors | 40 time | Pff | college

That should keep Smith in the discussion for the first linebacker to come off the board in the upcoming draft.

Smith, the 2017 Butkus Award winner, led Georgia in tackles the past two seasons, including 137 tackles and 6.5 sacks in his junior campaign, and is projected to go mid-late first round by most draft analysts, with many predicting him to go as high as No. 10 overall to the Oakland Raiders. 

Roquan smith pff

His contract signing was significantly delayed due to contract disputes between the Bears and Smith’s agency CAA Football over language in his rookie contract stating whether his guaranteed money would be reclaimed by the team if he was suspended due to the NFL’s new rule outlawing contact leading with the helmet.

Roquan Smith : Trade Rumors | 40 time | Pff | college

Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Second-team All-Pro (2020, 2021)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2018)
  • Unanimous All-American (2017)
  • Butkus Award (2017)
  • SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2017)
  • First-team All-SEC (2017)

CAA argued for wording that would protect Smith’s guaranteed earnings, while the Bears preferred for decisions to be determined by the league, a situation that was exacerbated by skepticism surrounding the rule and the frequency of tackling in Smith’s role.

On August 14, the Bears signed Smith to a fully guaranteed four-year, $18.47 million contract that included a signing bonus of $11.51 million. He was the last first-round pick in his draft class to sign with his team.

In his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers on NBC Sunday Night Football, Smith recorded a sack on the Packers’ quarterback DeShone Kizer on his first career snap.

College 

While at the University of Georgia, Smith played college football under head coaches Mark Richt and Kirby Smart.

As a true freshman at Georgia in 2015, Smith played in 12 games and recorded 20 tackles.

As a sophomore in 2016, he started 10 of 13 games, recording 95 tackles.

In 2017, Smith was named MVP of the SEC Championship Game, as well as SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Roquan Smith : Trade Rumors | 40 time | Pff | college

He also became the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Butkus Award. Smith decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and entered the 2018 NFL Draft.

Smith attended Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia, where he played football for the Bulldogs.

He originally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play college football but changed his commitment to the University of Georgia.

By Rishabh

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