With the Bears star announcing he would like a trade, here are five realistic deals the Steelers can offer for Smith.
With contract talks seemingly stalling, Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith has requested a trade out of Chicago. While the Steelers are seemingly set at linebacker as of now, having the opportunity to land a player of Smith’s caliber has to be considered. It isn’t every day that a young player with the potential that Smith has is put on the trade block. Pittsburgh would be wise to at least inquire about a deal.
What would the Steelers have to give up?
Gauging the value of Smith is difficult because the NFL hasn’t seen a lot of top linebackers get dealt in recent years. That said, below-average players can fetch a fifth or sixth-round pick. Based on that, a pure pick for player swap likely starts with a first-round pick at a minimum.
Honestly, I would gauge his value similarly to what Minkah Fitzpatrick’s value was when he got dealt. Granted, Fitzpatrick still had three years of control on his contract when he got dealt (Smith is in the final year of his rookie deal), but both play defensive positions that are valuable, but not top of the line in terms of importance (that belongs to edge rushers, linemen, and arguably cornerbacks).
When compiling a final number, I would give Smith a slightly higher value due to him being selected to the second team all-pro the past two seasons. He is more proven as a player than Fitzpatrick was, and despite the contract issue, I think it will cost a bit more to acquire Smith.
With that all said, here are five trade offers the Steelers can give to try and bring in Smith.
Steelers could use a first-round pick to acquire Smith
The first trade is the most basic of the packages. As stated earlier, I have Smith’s trade value slightly higher than Fitzpatrick’s value when he came over from Miami, so he will have a slightly higher cost. The Steelers gave up a first-round pick along with swapping their fifth and sixth-round picks for a fourth and seventh-round pick from the Dolphins.
There is no swapping here, as the Steelers give up their first and fifth-round pick and receive just Smith in return. It has yet to be seen how new GM Omar Khan values draft picks, but this would be quite the hefty deal. Next year will be Khan’s first-ever draft as general manager, and it would be quite the aggressive trade to give up his top pick.
Roster-wise, it is also hard to justify using a first-round pick when the team has two starters currently at the position. Sure, Smith is an upgrade over both, but is just an upgrade worth spending a first-round pick on a player? If the Steelers do decide to pursue Smith, I expect them to try and add some players into the mix.
Steelers could package Wormley into the deal
While I am not overly convinced that the Steelers will be willing to give up a first-round pick, this option does alleviate some of the cost of the trade. In return, the team has to shed some of their bodies along the defensive line. That said, the defensive line is one of the deepest groups on the team and could survive with one less player there.
Instead of trading a first and another pick, the Steelers get to recoup a fourth-round pick in the process. Again, I find it hard to believe that Khan will be willing to trade away his first pick as a general manager, but he would get to land a top player at linebacker. At the bare minimum, this deal is far less costly than the previously mentioned one.
In return, Chris Wormley is added in to boost this deal. Coming off of a career year, the Steelers likely don’t want to part ways with the veteran. Considering he is in the final year of his deal and both Larry Ogunjobi and DeMarvin Leal have looked good in camp, the team can afford to trade him. In doing so, they get Smith at a slight discount.
Steelers could include Sutton in a trade
Rounding out the first three trades (the deals that I think are the least likely to occur if a trade occurred), the Bears are in need of some good cornerbacks. Even after selecting Kyler Gordan in the draft, Chicago could still use a third capable cornerback. Cameron Sutton has become a steady veteran and would be a valuable addition to the Bears roster.
Would the Steelers be willing to trade Sutton? Probably not, but the team could view him in a similar vein as Wormley. Both are in the final year of their current deals, and neither are locked to be back with the team next season. That said, Sutton has become a leader in the cornerback room so far in training camp. It would have to be quite the deal to part ways with the veteran.
That all said, Sutton on his own isn’t worth what Smith is. Even if the Bears were desperate for Sutton, they wouldn’t part ways with a player that has a much brighter future as a good cornerback. I added an additional day three pick to sweeten this deal, but it seems like a long shot that this type of trade occurs.
Steelers should add Bush into the deal
These last two deals I think are squarely on the table if the Steelers wanted to make a serious push at Smith. Looking at this deal first, if this team were to acquire Smith, one has to think that Devin Bush would be on the outside looking in. The Bears would need some linebacker help after dealing Smith, so packaging him in the deal just makes sense.
To be fair, I don’t think Bush has a lot of trade value despite being a former top ten pick. He played horribly last year despite the hope of a rebound from his injury. Now he enters the season as a projected starter, but that is more due to his pedigree and lack of a legitimate option behind him as opposed to anyone else.
Now, the Steelers could flip an asset that is likely gone after this season and land a new and improved starter to replace him. Granted, it would still cost the team a second-round pick to actually land Smith, but that isn’t a huge cost for a potential top-linebacker. Pittsburgh gets a big upgrade at linebacker while moving on from Bush a season early.
Steelers can add Claypool to the deal
Of all of the trades I have outlined, I think this deal makes the most sense for both sides. While I can’t guarantee the Steelers pursue Smith, using Chase Claypool as some trade bait is logical. While he was a star as a rookie, Claypool saw some serious regression in year two. His spot on the roster is still secure, but he certainly can’t be the most comfortable player on the roster now.
With Diontae Johnson now locked up on a new deal, Claypool could be the odd man out. George Pickens has been the star of camp so far, and even names like Anthony Miller and Calvin Austin have shown up in camp. Claypool still has value to this offense, but if the team wants to move forward with some different receivers and an upgrade at linebacker, Claypool could be the odd man out.
The Bears, meanwhile, need some help at receiver. They have Justin Fields ready for a critical year two, yet they have barely surrounded him with a capable crew to catch passes. Claypool would be a huge upgrade in that department. This deal makes the most sense, as both teams get an upgrade, and the draft compensation is minimal.
While the Steelers making a deal for Smith isn’t a lock, there could be interest between the two parties. If a deal occurs, don’t be surprised to see some other players get added to the deal. Any of these five deals could be a potential way for the Steelers to land Smith.