What the Roquan Smith Trade Means for Baltimore

During Smith’s tenure in Chicago, he was one of the NFL’s leading tacklers. He made a pair of second-team All-Pros, and he is generally considered to be a top-10 linebacker.

Pros of the Roquan Smith Trade

Smith is an acknowledgment that Patrick Queen has not advanced far enough in his 2.5 seasons in Baltimore to this point. However, Smith will take some of Queen’s responsibilities, opening Queen to play at his best. When Queen played this secondary role in 2021, he had a string of good performances. Smith is an upgrade over Josh Bynes, so the Ravens are upgrading both of their top-two linebacker spots.

Smith’s greatest strength is his tackling. While his tackle totals might be overrated, his consistency is a welcomed addition to Baltimore’s defense. In his five seasons, Smith has missed just 7.3% of tackles according to PFF. In the last four seasons. Smith has posted a rate below 8.0%. Among Ravens who have played 100 snaps, only Marcus Williams (5.7%) and Travis Jones (0.0%) have a lower missed tackle rate.

While Queen has improved as a tackler throughout his career, his 2022 missed tackle rate (15.0%) more than doubles Smith’s career rate. Smith will convert many tackles, helping the Ravens avoid the big plays that have plagued the defense in the last few seasons.

Smith adds exceptional athleticism and intellect to the middle of the Baltimore defense. He has seven career interceptions, allowing a passer rating of 85.2 for his career. In 2020, Smith earned an 84.0 coverage grade and allowed a 75.8 passer rating.

Cons of the Roquan Smith Trade

While Smith is a tremendous tackler, he can have issues getting to the ball carrier. Similar to Queen, Smith can get lost in the wash and be taken out of some plays. He is a great athlete, but he plays as if he is the best athlete on the field. Smith will make plenty of splash plays, but there will be some plays that he looks lost.

Smith can be undisciplined against the run. The same athleticism he uses to be a strong coverage player hurts him as he over pursues in his run fits. Smith can be exploited in the play-action game, and he is not above being heavily targeted by opposing offensive coordinators. Smith is a good, sometimes great, linebacker, but he is not quite on the elite level.

Other Positions

The Smith trade was Baltimore’s lone move before the deadline. Many speculated they would be in the market for a wide receiver such as Brandin Cooks, D.J. Moore, or Elijah Moore, but nothing materialized.

The receiver corps is in a less-than-stellar predicament at the moment with tight end Mark Andrews dealing with two injuries and Rashod Bateman set to be out for a few weeks. However, other players in the room have stepped up including tight end Isaiah Likely and Devin Duvernay. The Ravens still have one of the weaker rooms in the NFL, but they have still been effective offensively. Even with the injuries, the Ravens are fifth in scoring and 14th in yards per pass.

The Ravens may have also been in the edge sweepstakes, but a combination of high prices and the return of Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo did not necessitate a move. In a way, the Ravens are making the trades without giving up extra draft capital. Bowser and Ojabo are both returning from devastating injuries, but they have at least been in the building, and the Ravens do not have to trade any assets to acquire them. Both Bowser and Ojabo could be available to play as early as Week 9.

Re-Signing Smith

Smith, a first-round pick in 2018, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. OverTheCap projects a potential non-exclusive franchise tag for a linebacker to be 17.4 million dollars. An exclusive franchise tag would be even pricier. Spotrac projects Smith to have an annual market value of 16 million dollars, but the number could fluctuate. If Smith closes out the season well, he could ask for upwards of 20 million dollars per season. If the season goes poorly, Smith would leave Baltimore for a (likely) third-round compensatory pick.

Lamar Jackson

Smith is a natural segue into his draft mate Lamar Jackson. Jackson’s potential franchise tag figure dwarfs Smith’s. According to Albert Breer, a non-exclusive tag would set the Ravens back 29.7 million dollars while an exclusive tag would be 45.5 million dollars. According to Spotrac, Jackson’s market value is about 41.5 million dollars a year, but a Lamar Jackson contract would likely push to exceed that in negotiations.

Jackson might not quite be at his 2019 form, but he has had a strong start to the 2022 campaign. Through eight games, he has the Ravens on top of the AFC North with a 5-3 record. He is among the league’s leaders in both passing touchdowns and rushing yards. With a run of favorable opponents, Jackson could coordinate a hot streak and earn extra millions of dollars on his contract.

Verdict of the Roquan Smith Trade

Trading for Smith will put the Ravens in a financial bind in the 2023 off-season. Beyond Smith and Jackson, the Ravens will have to explore options with Marcus Peters and Justin Houston. Peters is a proven All-Pro at a premium position while Houston leads the team in sacks. Jackson would be the first priority, but the Ravens would likely be unable to retain more than one of Smith, Peters, or Houston.

As a whole, the Ravens are not focused on potential financial repercussions. They are angling for the best shot to win Super Bowl 57. If they do, Smith’s trade package would be a bargain. If they do not, Eric DeCosta and the Ravens’ brass will cross the bridge in February and March.

Let us know your thoughts on the Ravens" Roquan Smith trade in the comments below!

Main image credit Embed from Getty Images