The return of Roquan Smith ends another issue that general manager Ryan Poles has had in his first year.
The whole hold shows how little influence the player has in this situation, while also highlighting what happens when a novice fights.
Before Smith published a letter slamming the Bears, he was trying to get as close to a model citizen as possible under the circumstances. No one can expect a player seeking an extension to do all the offseason volunteer work and mandatory work, but Smith did. Meanwhile, starter Robert Quinn’s contract is nearly double what Smith has this year and has skipped everything this offseason. to find out.
However, publicly tearing up the Bears is one of the dumbest strategies Smith can take when the Pole is sitting on the high ground as first-year general manager.
The Pole needs to do something extremely damaging to the organization to get knocked down in his first year, and contract negotiations with weak full-backs will not do that.
Because the only thing he can do is at his own expense refuse to serve a team that most people think will struggle whether he plays or not, Smith will only sabotage his own chances of securing a final contract in Chicago By persistence or persistence or otherwise.
His trade request may actually materialize in the future, though, as the Pole will have nearly unlimited salary cap cash and a full suite of draft picks to find another weaker at a lower cost The fullback is in the offseason if Smith disappoints in any way. Or he could simply tag Smith and keep him for another year for the average salary of the top five linebackers.
However, the bear market did not emerge unscathed from this entire crash.
Here are the lessons learned from the Great Roquan Smith Hold-In at both 2022 training camps.
1. Find an agent
If you fire your agent, find another agent that is approved by the Players Union.
“No, I don’t regret not having an agent throughout the process,” Smith said. “When people say that, I think it’s just a bunch of excuses. Times are changing and I think players want to be able to have complete transparency about what’s actually going on because a lot of people can say a lot of different things, but when you’re in When you’re there, you’ll see it with your own eyes, and you’ll know exactly what’s going on.”
That’s why you hire an agent you trust for complete transparency. Hiring someone you don’t trust tends to do the opposite and doing it for yourself is the last thing a player in the world should do because they’re not just going to be beaten up against someone who makes a living out of this kind of thing , but they also involve emotion in the process. A proxy is a filter for this. Smith admits this, even if his conclusions about the surrogate being unnecessary are pretty absurd.
“It’s very emotional for me because normally I tend not to express my opinion, but I think now is the time for me to do so,” Smith said, referring to his The public decision comes with his complaints. “There’s a lot of different things going on there. A lot of different speculation and like things of this nature, I just want the fans to know that the great city of Chicago knows what’s going on because no one really knows. A lot of people It’s all blindfolded, so I just want people to know that.”
They’re still in the blind because Smith hasn’t disclosed the cash needs and offers involved, but he’s passing the NFL The way in which the network’s Ian Rapoport slammed the Poles was clear. Emotions only get in the way of negotiations.
“I just really learned how the business really works,” Smith said.
not really. He understands how a small part of one aspect of it works, or how it works if you don’t hire a real agent. Continuing this path in the future will only bring bad results.
2. Players miss offseason work for a reason
Here’s why. Alan Robinson did it, and it literally burned him. He wasn’t on the same page in a passing game with Justin Fields or whoever played quarterback last year and then got hurt. He missed all offseason work.
It is different at the guard position.
Fighting is not allowed anyway. So aside from learning a new defense, what are the benefits of a linebacker working in the offseason. The Tampa-2 style adopted by the Bears is simple, as Matt Eberflus says so much. That’s why he says players can come in as free agents and get started quickly. So Smith should miss all offseason work to let the Bears know he’s serious.
Maybe he’ll get a more serious offer.
3. Bears can still be cheap
For decades, bear markets have had to overcome the largely fabricated accusation that they do things cheaply. It dates back to the days of George Harrah, when things were very different.
However, a team with such a tag doesn’t want to get back in the saddle.
There is no reason to doubt Smith’s claim that the Bears want an escalator clause in the contract. This is an absurd claim that no one would make up.
Sadly, asking for something like this is low. It’s totally uncommon for NFL players drafted in the first round to be asked to agree, especially with the eighth pick.
It’s cheap. It sounds like what Brian Doyle Murray did in the movie “The Christmas Break,” when he gave everyone a monthly club membership instead of their expected Christmas bonus.
Shame on Ryan Polanes and George McCaskey.
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Poles may be inexperienced, but no experience is required to avoid being a cheapskate.
4. Compliments are good, cash talks
As team fires Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace, McCaskey praises Roquan Smith as one of the players who did it right one.
The Poles swore up and down that he liked Smith.
“My feelings for Luo Quan haven’t changed at all,” he said after the letter slammed the Bears’ negotiations. “I think he’s a very good footballer. I love the kid and what he’s doing on the pitch – it makes me very disappointed with where we are now. I think we’ll be in a better place I’m completely honest with you.”
The way to make Smith better is to pay Smith.
This begs the question, how much does the current regime love Smith?
5. Shut your mouth
Although the media and fans love it , but one of the worst things anyone can do is bring their complaints into the public spotlight.
Smith alienated a master who clearly liked him. No matter what the Poles say, it doesn’t feel good for him. If the Bears are hesitant to keep Smith in large numbers in the future, he may have voted for them with his mouth.
By saying he bet on himself on Saturday, Smith correctly described the future. However, he put himself in an unnecessarily difficult situation. A bear market is unlikely to do so.
If he does everything by the book and doesn’t speak ill of the team, the Bears can always sign a bigger contract before free agency next March so there’s no face involved one side. There will be now.
6. Never Say Never
Smith decides the end of the conversation.
never say Never. A couple of productive regular-season games might convince the Pole to agree to what he wants.
You never know, but burning bridges will never make sense.
7. Prove
Smith before requesting There are two all-pro second-team options. However, players and fans have yet to vote for him as a Pro Bowl player. Pro Football Focus considers him just the 62nd best linebacker in the league last year. He did end up making the NFL Network’s top 100, which is determined by player voting. But only in 84th place.
What’s more, Smith has yet to prove that he can be a weak wing back, but in a 4-3 formation the Bears plan to use.
It’s easier to make crazy requests when you’ve already shown the team how indispensable you are. When the Colts paid Darius Leonard nearly $100 million over five years, they’ve seen what he can do for a few more years in their plans.
Before going public and letting you know what flies, getting more proof in this 4-3 might be better for Smith. Even a few games can make a big difference.
Play a few games in the regular season, make some demands, and then sign a contract, this may not be a traditional negotiation, because Smith may get injured in these few games, and then where will he go? ?
Then again, he now has to play 17 games to survive unscathed. He has to excel in the process. If he plays a few games first and then signs the contract, the odds are better.
