Chicago Bears: Three Positives of Roquan Smith’s signing

Positive Number One: Bears long-term relationship with Smith

There comes a certain time in contract negotiations where you begin to worry if the lack of agreement between the two sides will be detrimental to the team’s relationship with a player.

While the entire contract ordeal certainly wasn’t beneficial to the Bears’ relationship with Smith, the Bears got the deal done in just enough time to prevent any long-term concerns.

In getting the deal done, the Bears showed Smith that they believe that he is a serious, valuable part of the current and future team. Additionally, the Bears showed how much they value Smith by giving him his desired protection of guaranteed money.

Some might say that the Bears “gave in,” and eventually gave Smith, an unproven rookie, what he wanted. The deal, and its details, ultimately play a major role in fortifying the long-term relationship between the Bears and Smith.

Finally, the Bears’ apparent urgency in getting the deal done verifies their belief that Smith will play a big role on the Bears defense from day one. If the Bears didn’t value Smith’s play on the field, then they would’ve been able to settle for an even longer dispute, thus being able to fight for their side of the negotiations. In backing down to Smith’s demands, the Bears show their desire to win now, and their confidence in the day-one impact of Roquan Smith.