Chicago Bears: 5 must-know facts regarding Roquan Smith’s holdout
By Ryan Heckman
Smith’s past sheds some light
At this point, we aren’t quite sure who is to blame for Smith’s holdout. Is it Smith who desires the language be re-worked? Or, is it his agency? It is easy to assume the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is responsible for the holdout. Considering they also represent Aaron Donald and Julio Jones (Donald is still holding out), blaming CAA seems like the most plausible route.
But, when we look into Smith’s past, we might see something which tells us different.
Originally, Smith committed to UCLA. Some may not know this, but Smith de-committed from UCLA following his defensive coordinator leaving the school. When he ultimately decided on Georgia, Smith went an alternative route.
BREAKING: Despite announcing his commitment to #UCLA, 4* LB Roquan Smith tells me he has not reached final decision, has not signed LOI.
— Jake Reuse (@ReuseRecruiting) February 4, 2015
According to UGAWire, Smith did not sign a letter of intent, which is typical. Instead, he signed a financial aid agreement. Why did he do this? Smith did this so that he could have an easy out if he ever wanted to leave Georgia, just like he left UCLA hanging.
This should cause us, as fans, to re-evaluate whom we blame in this case. Maybe it’s not all on the shoulders of CAA. Maybe Smith knows what he’s doing, and he has a strong hand in this after all. Everything we’ve seen told by those who know him personally paints him to be a man of high integrity. But, this could just be an odd coincidence.