The Baltimore Ravens should be sellers before the 2026 NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, but they’ve been warned about the risk of dealing All-Pro middle linebacker Roquan Smith, despite his status among the “most movable” players on a struggling team.
Smith is somebody the Ravens can move today, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He acknowledged “It’s hard to say whether there will be any interest in Smith. He’s still an effective player, but he’s 29 now, he’s not making the same number of impact plays and he still has another year left on a big-money contract.”
Regardless of the perception Smith’s in decline, Zrebiec still believes “A purge of some veteran defensive players seems overdue, and moving on from Smith would save them $8 million in cap space, which would come in handy this offseason.”
That’s a saving general manager Eric DeCosta will find tough to ignore. Particularly when he’s facing rebuilding a roster gone stale on his watch.
Ageing players at key positions are partly why the Ravens are 4-5 and mired in a four-game losing streak. It’s also why 105.7 The Fan’s Cordell Woodland told Glenn Clark Radio he “wouldn’t be upset if they moved on” from Smith, but Woodland also cautioned, “don’t be surprised if he goes somewhere and produces or gets rejuvenated being somewhere new.”
Smith returning to his best in a new home would intensify the scrutiny on DeCosta and rookie head coach Jesse Minter. He’s not getting help from several key leaders on defense, including Smith.
Roquan Smith Sharing Blame for Struggling Defense
Smith’s frustrations have only grown the more Baltimore’s defense has floundered. His overly aggressive attempts to change the tone landed the four-time Pro Bowler a pair of fines after the 36-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.
He let his enthusiasm get the better of him, but Smith at least showed he cared. His intensity has been in stark contrast to a struggling fellow All-Pro, cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
The latter has ranted against fans, despite his frequent lapses in coverage. Humphrey looks like a shell of the player he once was, but he’s not the only big name failing to carry his weight.
Minter recently defended All-Pro edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson. The $112-million starter has just two sacks to his credit.
The Ravens need Hendrickson to be the pocket-collapsing closer the Ravens have missed for too long. Minter’s convinced “Trey’s played really hard and I think he’s affected the game at a bunch of different times from a pressure standpoint. I think over the last couple games as he’s gotten used to his situation, I think he’s played the run actually really well. I have a lot of confidence in him and want him just to keep working within himself and with the guys and working together as a pass rush unit for us to get the productivity we need to get out of that position,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
“I think Trey’s played really hard and I think he’s affected the game at a bunch of different times from a
The Ravens are having to make do with what they’ve got because they lack elite players. It means they don’t even have the trade chips to acquire some much-needed new playmakers.
Ravens Lack Enticing Trade Chips
Zrebiec also believes trading Smith is risky because “shipping off the team’s vocal leader and defensive signal-caller could make it seem like the Ravens are waiving the white flag on the season. They probably wouldn’t get much in return, either.”
Those things might be true, but the Ravens don’t have multiple valuable trade assets. There isn’t even a market for another All-Pro who was once a prolific pass-catcher on offense.
The Ravens sound increasingly willing to retain their core veteran. Even those they’re getting multiple trade calls about.
It’s a risky strategy when this core group has helped land the Ravens at the foot of the AFC North.
Ravens Get Trade Warning About ‘Most Movable’ Roquan Smith