Chicago Bears: 5 takeaways after week one of training camp
Roquan missing from camp
As of the moment I’m writing this, Roquan Smith has not signed a contract with the Bears. In fact, the No. 9 overall pick is currently one of only two first-round picks not currently signed — the other being New York Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold.
Maybe by the time you read this, the Bears and Smith have come to terms — which would be great. However, the fact remains that he has already missed a full week of camp. Now Smith has an incredibly high football IQ. And you would hope that while he’s not on the field, he is still putting in the time to study and understand the playbook.
#Bears coach Matt Nagy said that rookie LB Roquan Smith benefitted from OTAs but he said there is no replicating the live reps from camp. Nagy knows only two top picks are left unsigned.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) July 26, 2018
Yet, as Coach Nagy stated today after practice, there is no substitute for live repetitions in camp. As of today, the Bears are only one week away from their preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, the Bears have one extra preseason game this year, so in the grand scheme of things, maybe it means nothing if he misses it. But the longer this drags on, the more he misses quality reps.
Next. Time to worry about Roquan Smith's contract situation?. dark
About a week ago, I wrote about this very topic and wondered if it was time to worry about his contract status. There was no reason to worry then, and there is no reason to worry now — at least not yet. However, we are starting to get into worrisome territory. If this situation extends another full week, you can color me concerned. However, I truly don’t expect that to happen.