Cleveland Browns should inquire about Roquan Smith

Chicago Bear Roquan Smith wants out and the Cleveland Browns would be wise to consider him.

The Cleveland Browns linebacking corp isn’t great. It’s fine, it’s not a position of “need” but that doesn’t mean the position couldn’t use some upgrades. Your top three guys are Sione Takitaki, who’s a starter at best, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who may be a Pro Bowler but doesn’t strike me as a franchise great, and Anthony Walker, a likable and solid player. None of them are Roquan Smith of the Chicago Bears, however.

The 25-year-old wants out of Chicago due to the front office there not “valuing” him. While I can’t speak to his value in Chicago, nor can I confidently say the Browns would do much better, I can say that as a player, he makes Cleveland better.

Smith is in the last year of his contract with Chicago and is due $9.8 million; none of which would affect Chicago’s cap space should they trade him. He’s absolutely a guy the Browns could use, as while he’s not a big blitzer, he tackles everything and everyone.

He’s Terry Tate, Office Linebacker but on a football field. And with presumably less impressive trash talk.

The Cleveland Browns have the assets and cap space to make the deal for Roquan Smith

The Cleveland Browns may not have first-round picks for the next two seasons, but they have some assets that could help the Bears, enough to look past the first-round pick or lack thereof.

With Kareem Hunt asking for a trade, he makes the most sense to throw into the trade, especially since the Bears will be relying on David Montgomery and the rushing game now more than ever. Getting Hunt only gives Montgomery a rest but gives the Bears another playmaker to lean on instead of making second-year-pro Justin Fields do everything.

Now, giving up Donovan Peoples-Jones may seem to be a bit much on top of the two-draft picks and Hunt, but I don’t think Peoples-Jones is the guy so many think he is, and I’d rather trade him with his value at its peak than realize in a year or two that he won’t even get a second-contract form us, let alone a late-round pick.

Now, no deal can be made in my opinion without Smith agreeing to a contract extension. I’m not giving up a Top 20 running back and my second starter at receiver for a guy who’s leaving at the end of the season. I want a five-year deal for Smith, and then we’ll talk turkey.