Ex-Bears LB Smith 'shocked' by trade to Ravens

Exactly 1 week aft breaking down successful tears erstwhile teammate Robert Quinn got traded by the Bears, wrong linebacker Roquan Smith was each smiles aft his archetypal signifier since leaving the Bears himself.

Smith, who was acquired by the Baltimore Ravens connected Monday, acknowledged helium was "shocked" to beryllium dealt a time earlier the NFL's commercialized deadline.

"I didn't program to [get traded], but you know, beingness happens astatine times and got traded," Smith said, flashing a wide grin. "So initially I was shocked. But I'm excited to beryllium here. Good radical of guys that's contending for a title, and that's what I'm successful the crippled to play for -- playing for a title."

The NFL's starring tackler, Smith goes from the rebuilding Bears (3-5) to the first-place Ravens (5-3). He is looking to supply a boost to a Baltimore defence that ranks No. 24 successful the NFL, has allowed a league-worst 83 fourth-quarter points this play and has failed to clasp 3 double-digit leads.

And, contempt reaching the playoffs 5 times this decade, the Ravens person yet to beforehand past the divisional circular since they won the Super Bowl successful 2012.

"I cognize they trying to get implicit the hump and triumph the large game," Smith said. "So I consciousness similar I tin beryllium 1 of the guys that tin assistance with that. So I'm excited to beryllium capable to springiness everything I got to marque that happen."

Baltimore traded a second- and fifth-round prime successful 2023, on with linebacker A.J. Klein to Chicago, for Smith, a root told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Bears paid $4.833 cardinal of Smith's $5.408 cardinal wage for the remainder of the season, a root added, which allowed the Ravens to get Smith nether their wage cap.

Smith, who is successful the last twelvemonth of his rookie deal, declined to accidental whether helium has started negotiations connected a declaration hold with Baltimore.

"I'm not truly focused connected that close now," helium said. "Everything's happened really, truly quickly, truthful I'm conscionable trying to absorption connected honing successful connected this playbook close present and getting to that. But my main absorption close present is learning the playbook and getting a large narration with the guys and past going from there."

The Ravens volition person 5 months to scope a caller woody with Smith earlier helium becomes an unrestricted escaped agent. Baltimore would beryllium incapable to usage the franchise tag connected Smith unless the squad tin motion backmost Lamar Jackson to an hold earlier March. The Ravens are expected to enactment the tag connected Jackson to support him from escaped agency.

Like Jackson, Smith does not person an cause and represents himself. Ravens officials person said antecedently that the deficiency of an cause has created "unusual" declaration negotiations with Jackson. Now, the Ravens person a akin concern with Smith.

"Times are changing," Smith said connected wherefore helium doesn't person an agent. "Honestly, I deliberation players privation to beryllium astatine the array and want, like, a 100% transparency. I deliberation that's the large thing. The interest you're paying agents, you know, immoderate bash large jobs. I tin beryllium giving that to foundation oregon family. But I besides person a squad of advisers arsenic well, truthful it's not conscionable me, by myself."