With one day to go until the NFL trade deadline, the Baltimore Ravens completed the signing of linebacker Roquan Smith, the team announced on Monday. The trade with the Chicago Bears will see the Ravens send the Bears a second and fifth-round pick in 2023 as well as linebacker A.J. Klein.
The arrival of Smith will provide a major boost to the Ravens, who are looking to fill a major void in the middle of their defense, with both Josh Bynes has struggled and Patrick Queen falling short of their expectations. To date, Smith leads the NFL with 83 tackles this season.
With Smith still owed $5.408 million for the rest of the season, the Bears will pay him $4.833 million while the Ravens have undertaken to pay him the remaining $575,000. This season, Smith was set to play out the final year of his rookie contract with the Bears.
As a two-time second-team All-Pro, Smith is expected to provide Baltimore with the talent they need to improve their troubling defensive record this season. To date, the Ravens have conceded an average of 22.9 points per game, thus ranking 20th in the NFL. Should this rate persist, the Ravens would be on track to their worst defensive performance since 2015.
