The Baltimore Ravens have a few talented inside linebackers currently on their roster. They’re expecting big things from third-year players Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison, as well as veteran Josh Bynes. However, the team could still look to add talent at the position, potentially in the form of a star.
On Tuesday, Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade. Many teams would benefit from adding his services, but when listing out the top landing spots for the star, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports put Baltimore at the top of the list, citing the fact that Smith would be an instant upgrade over anyone on the Ravens’ roster.
“32-year-old Josh Bynes is currently in line to be the team’s starting middle linebacker after starting 12 games for them last year and re-signing with the club this offseason. Smith not only would be an instant upgrade, but he’d be an answer for them for the foreseeable future…As an aside, Smith could also pick up the mantle left by Ray Lewis and be Baltimore’s next great middle linebacker, which is in a similar vein to what he enjoyed about playing in Chicago with their long history of linebackers. Similar to New England, however, the Ravens would need to massage their books to make this work under the salary cap.”
As Sullivan notes, Baltimore would likely have to move money around in order accommodate Smith into their salary cap, as he’s playing on a fifth-year option worth $9.7 million. He’s also in-line for a big contract extension, so if the Ravens were to acquire Smith it would be interesting to see how they would handle that situation.
Despite some of the concerns surrounding money, there’s no doubt about the player that Smith is. He’s a phenomenal talent at the inside linebacker position and would fit into Baltimore’s defense extremely well. Over the course of four seasons in the NFL, the former Georgia star has totaled 524 tackles, 14 sacks and five interceptions, showing he’s a do-it-all player that can play a multitude of different roles.