Getty Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys looks on before a game.
The Dallas Cowboys could make one more blockbuster move with the team being labeled as a potential landing spot for Chicago Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith. Heavy Sports’ NFL insider Matt Lombardo labeled the Cowboys and Browns as the top two potential trade partners for the Bears.
What would the Cowboys have to give up in a potential blockbuster trade to acquire Smith? Lombardo noted the Bears’ eventual asking price could be as low as a future third-round pick.
“Multiple league sources believe the Bears will most likely need to settle for a second and/or third-round pick in return for Smith, if they are even able to find a trade partner with the draft capital and cap space to fit a new long-term extension,” Lombardo wrote on August 12, 2022.
“…Of the four teams with over $20 million in cap space, the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys make the most sense as potential landing spots for Smith.
“Smith, who finished last season with 155 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, and held opposing quarterbacks to an 86.7 passer rating when targeting him, would be an immediate and significant upgrade over Anthony Walker in the middle of a Browns defense capable of contending for a Super Bowl immediately.
“Likewise, if the Cowboys — who currently have $21.4 million in cap space — trade for Smith, they could leave Micah Parsons at his natural position as an edge rusher, and drop Smith into the middle of one of the more dominant linebacking corps in the league.”
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NFL Agent: ‘[Smith] Doesn’t Help a Team Get Any Closer to Winning a Super Bowl’
The #GMFB crew reacts to breaking news that Bears All-Pro Roquan Smith has requested a trade.
According to Lombardo, there is widespread skepticism around the league about whether the Bears will be able to get a significant return for Smith. The star linebacker is seeking a lucrative contract extension as Smith enters the final season of his four-year, $18.4 million rookie contract and is slated to have a $9.7 million salary for 2022.
“I’m not sure they’re going to get close to the pick they’re asking for,” an NFL general manager told Heavy. “And on top of that, they’d have to find a team willing to pay big-time money for a linebacker.”
The former Georgia standout was selected by the Bears with the No. 8 pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Smith is coming off a career-high 163 tackles while adding three sacks, 12 tackles for loss and an interception returned for a touchdown during his 17 starts in 2022. One agent told Lombardo that Smith’s market is limited as teams are not convinced the linebacker gets a franchise closer to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.
“He doesn’t help a team get any closer to winning a Super Bowl,” one high-profile agent remarked.
The Cowboys Have More Than $21 Million Remaining in Cap Space
For those who have said Roquan Smith isn’t fast enough to play Will linebacker in Matt Eberflus’ defense, feast your eyes on these two plays from last season, where Smith tracked down Kyler Murray:
Even after signing former Pro Bowler Anthony Barr, the Cowboys have an estimated $21.4 million remaining in cap space, per Over the Cap. With the addition of Barr and second-year defender Jabril Cox returning from an ACL injury, it remains to be seen how aggressive the Cowboys will be in potential trade talks to add another linebacker.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer also views the Cowboys as a potential landing spot for Smith, but the insider has his doubts that Dallas will actually make the move.
“I like the idea of the Cowboys doing something here, too, because it’d free up the coaches to get even more creative with Micah Parsons, but I’m not sure that’s realistic,” Breer detailed August 10.