NFC North

The Chicago Bears are interested in making Roquan Smith the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, but their latest offer to the inside linebacker is considered "not a real highest-paid offer" and is "way backloaded," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show:

"They could make him the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, which my understanding is their offer is, you know, is there. But it's not real, it's not a real highest-paid offer. ... It's like way backloaded, so like, you know, the last year has a high number and it makes the average high but it's not real. There's a couple things they've asked him to do in the deal that he does not want do."

Rapoport reported Wednesday that Chicago's "backloaded" offer to Smith "wouldn't make him the highest paid in actual salary" and included "proposed de-escalators that not a single player out of the 94 non-QB, $15 million-plus contracts has."

Smith requested a trade from the Bears this week after contract negotiations between himself and the organization hit a wall. The 25-year-old wrote in a statement shared by Rapoport that he believes the franchise's front office "doesn't value me here" and has "refused to negotiate in good faith."

Smith added: "Every step of this journey has been 'take it or leave it.' The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it."

#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/x4vmOMhROt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2022

Rapoport reported on 670 The Score this week that Smith asked the Bears for more money than Indianapolis Colts star Shaquille Leonard, who signed a five-year, $98.5 million deal with the franchise in August 2021.

The deal made Leonard the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. In his four seasons with the Colts, he has posted 15 sacks, 11 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and 538 tackles in 58 games.

Leonard also won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, is a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.

Despite Smith's trade request, Bears general manager Ryan Poles told reporters earlier this week that the front office is still trying to negotiate a new deal for the veteran linebacker:

"I'll double down on what I've said before — my feelings for Roquan haven't changed at all. I think he's a very good football player. I love the kid. I love what he's done on the field, which makes me really disappointed with where we're at right now. I thought we'd be in a better situation, to be completely honest with you.

"In terms of our philosophy in the front office, I've always believed and always will that we take care of our homegrown talent. We pay them, we take care of them, and we take everyone for what they've done and what they can become in the future. And with this situation, we've showed respect from a very early timeframe and with that said, there's record-setting pieces of this contract that I thought was going to show him the respect that he deserves, and obviously that hasn't been the case."

The Bears selected Smith eighth overall in the 2018 NFL draft out of Georgia. In his four seasons with the Bears, he has posted 14 sacks, five interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 524 tackles in 61 games.

He enters the 2022 campaign coming off a solid 2021 season in which he posted three sacks, one interception and 163 tackles.

If the Bears and Smith cannot agree to terms on an extension, he'll become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season.

Chicago Bears wide receiver N'Keal Harry is reportedly set to undergo tightrope surgery after suffering a high ankle sprain during Saturday's training-camp practice.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the update Thursday and noted Harry is expected to need around eight weeks for recovery.

The Bears acquired Harry from the New England Patriots last month. He's entering the final season of his rookie contract after being selected by the Pats in the first round of the 2019 draft.

The 24-year-old Arizona State product didn't live up to expectations in New England. He finished his tenure with just 57 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons.

He described his trade to Chicago, which only cost the franchise a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft, as a "much-needed reset."

"I just want to show how dominant I could be just as a player in the NFL," Harry told reporters.

The Bears' receiver depth chart is wide-open behind projected top target Darnell Mooney.

Harry was battling the likes of Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle and rookie Velus Jones Jr. for a potential starting spot.

Now he's likely to miss the first month of the regular season, and it's unclear what type of role will be available when he returns.

The Bears kick off the preseason Saturday when they face off with the Kansas City Chiefs. Their regular-season slate opens Sept. 11 with a visit from the San Francisco 49ers.

Harry's timetable suggests he could return sometime around a Week 5 clash with the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams is yet to play an NFL game, but he has already made a jersey change.

The 2022 No. 12 overall draft pick will now wear No. 9 after getting permission from former quarterback Matthew Stafford:

#Lions rookie Jameson Williams has officially switched his jersey to No. 9 — Matthew Stafford’s old Detroit number. He was looking for a single digit number and actually reached out to Stafford on his own via text as an act of courtesy, according to a source. Classy move. pic.twitter.com/wzkhJmQRQd

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 10, 2022

Stafford wore No. 9 for 12 years with the Lions before moving to the Los Angeles Rams in a 2021 trade. He won a Super Bowl in his first year with his new team.

Though Detroit has not yet retired the quarterback's number, Stafford is the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins as a starting quarterback.

Williams, meanwhile, originally planned to wear No. 18 after his first choice of No. 1 was already taken by Jeff Okudah.

"One reason was Calvin Johnson had 81 and seeing 81, I wanted to flip it," Williams told reporters in May. "Then Randy Moss had 18 one time. He was my favorite receiver, so 18."

The rookie will instead go with the single-digit number as he tries to make his mark in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers offense has been struggling through training camp thus far, but veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes the team will only be better for it.

Rodgers said Tuesday, via Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber:

"I think it's important. How we deal with adversity is how we reveal the character of our football team. Especially on offense. We need to take our lumps and figure out what kind of football team we're going to be. So, I love it. It's great. It feels good, the defense having that confidence. There's been some training camps [where] we've beat the hell out of them. And it doesn't do great for their confidence.”

The Green Bay defense has been the star of training camp this summer, which comes as no surprise given the fact it is led by a talented group of veterans that includes Preston Smith, De'Vondre Campbell, Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed, Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander and more.

There's no weak link in the Green Bay defense, and Rodgers even told reporters earlier this week that he expected the offense to get beaten up by the defense all summer.

"I felt coming into camp, to be honest, we were going to get our butts kicked most days because our defense is talented and deep and athletic. It’s one of the best defenses, on paper, that we’ve had," Rodgers said.

However, the Packers offense took a massive blow this summer with the loss of Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and then signed a five-year, $140 million deal with the franchise.

Adams was Green Bay's top receiver, and arguably the best in the NFL. He had a career year in 2021, catching 123 passes for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games. In his eight seasons with the Packers, he posted 8,121 yards and 73 touchdowns in 116 games.

Replacing the 29-year-old was no easy task, and the Packers are turning to a combination of Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Christian Watson, Amari Rodgers and Romeo Doubs in 2022.

Only Cobb and Watkins have posted seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Cobb did so in 2014 with the Packers and Watkins did in 2015 as a member of the Buffalo Bills.

A more significant issue for the Green and Gold might be their offensive line. Yosuah Nijman, Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, Jake Hanson and Royce Newman are slated to be the team's starters entering the regular season.

Those players have combined for just 46 starts, and theIR inexperience could be a significant factor this season.

The returns of David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins should help, though it's unclear when either will return as both are recovering from torn ACLs.

There's still plenty of time for the Packers offense to work out some of its issues this summer, and a big test will come in Friday's preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. The regular season doesn't begin until Sept. 11.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that he doesn't see a reason to play just one series if he's going to suit up for preseason games.

"I don't see any benefit to it," Rodgers said Tuesday, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "I definitely don't see any benefit to playing one series. If we're going to play, we should play and play a quarter, a couple of series, two to three series. Just suiting up for four plays, to me, is a waste."

Head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Monday that Rodgers won't play in either of the Packers' first two preseason games, but the door is not shut on him suiting up for the finale Aug. 25 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Packers endured a rough preseason last year, going 0-3 and getting outscored 68-21. Rodgers didn't play, but he and the rest of the team got off to a rough start when the New Orleans Saints crushed them 38-3 in the regular-season opener.

LaFleur said early in camp that performance might affect how he ramps up to the 2022 regular season.

"I think you've got to learn from every situation you've been in," he said, per Demovsky. "At least it stimulates conversation."

Green Bay did get on track in Week 2 with seven straight wins en route to a 13-4 season.

The Packers will also have a new look in the passing game after they traded Davante Adams and let Marquez Valdes-Scantling walk in free agency.

In addition, the offensive line, which Demovsky wrote has "struggled in practice," is a work in progress.

Ultimately, Rodgers acknowledged both sides of the preseason debate:

"I think it's kind of a no-win situation to the outside of the building. If somebody gets hurt [it's], 'I can't believe they played our guys.' But if we go out and have a stinker [it's], 'I can't believe they didn't play them.' You've just got to do what's best for the squad, and Matt's going to do that. He's going to lean on the leaders of the football team and if he feels like we need to go out and play, we'll go out and play. But I don't want to just go out and play three plays. That, to me, is a waste of time."

Green Bay opens the campaign on the road at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 11 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles wants to keep linebacker Roquan Smith, but he acknowledged in a press conference Tuesday that there's no guarantee.

"My job is to build a roster that is going to sustain success for a long period of time," Poles told reporters. "At the end of the day, we have to do what’s best for the Chicago Bears."

"Right now, my intentions are to make sure Roquan is on this team," the GM added.

The comments come in response to Smith publicly announcing a trade request earlier Tuesday, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/x4vmOMhROt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2022

"The new front office regime doesn't value me here. They've refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been 'take it or leave it,'" Smith said.

Poles is in his first year with the Bears, hoping to turn around an organization that has just one winning season in the last nine years. The squad went 6-11 in 2021, causing the team to replace head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.

There has already been significant transformation under the new administration, with veterans Allen Robinson II, Bilal Nichols and Akiem Hicks among those leaving in free agency. Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack was also traded to the Los Angeles Chargers in March.

Smith is among the few remaining proven players on the roster, earning second-team All-Pro honors in each of the last two seasons.

The 25-year-old ranked fifth in the NFL last year with 163 tackles, adding three sacks and a pick-six.

With Smith heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the Bears must decide whether to sign him to an extension, trade him or let him hit free agency next offseason.

It was already shaping up to be a long season for fans of the Chicago Bears. The team is coming off a six-win campaign and possesses (on paper) arguably the NFL's most punchless offense. In the last set of NFL Power Rankings here at Bleacher Report, the Bears checked in 15th in the NFC and 30th overall.

Well, as the saying goes, "Things are never so bad they can't be made worse." That's what happened in the Windy City on Tuesday, when maybe the best player on the roster requested a trade.

Losing inside linebacker Roquan Smith would be a major short-term blow on the field, but it's also a trade that could land the rebuilding Bears some high-end draft capital. If the 25-year-old is hellbent on leaving town, the next step for both player and team is figuring out who is interested enough in Smith to make trading him worthwhile—and what they might be willing to give up.

With Smith heading into the fifth and final season of his rookie contract, there has been no shortage of rumblings about the negotiations on an extension. On July 26, new Bears general manager Ryan Poles tried to put a positive spin on negotiations with Smith while speaking to reporters:

"My feelings for Roquan don't change at all. I love the player and the person. And that won't change. The one thing I'll ask everyone here, I know I'm going to get a lot of questions and I get it. I'm just not going to talk about contracts and all that, so I wanted to just make sure we addressed it though. In terms of my feelings for him, nothing changes."

But things were apparently anything but positive given the scathing statement Smith penned Tuesday.

"The new front office regime doesn't value me here. They've refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been 'take it or leave it'. The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I've been trying to get something done that's fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.

"I wanted to be a Bear for my entire career, help this team bring a (Super Bowl) back to our city. However, they have left me no choice than to request a trade that allows me to play for an organization that truly values what I bring to the table."

To be fair, he left the door open for the relationship to be mended, and it's possible Smith (who has no agent) is trying to gain leverage via public support. But at face value, his statement says, "Get me out of here."

Losing Smith would be a massive hit for a team that can't afford those this year if it's even going to feign competitiveness. Smith has topped 100 total tackles in all four of his professional seasons, adding 14 sacks and five interceptions. Last year, he was fifth in the league with 163 total tackles and had a passer rating against in coverage of just 76.8.

Athlon Sports ranked Smith its No. 7 linebacker last month, noting:

"While he can roam sideline to sideline, Smith is also an underappreciated blitzer who times up his rushes well. He’s also durable, playing more than 1,000 snaps each of the past two seasons. Heading into 2022 under another defensive coaching regime, Smith should be the focal point of a rebuilt Bears defense."

Of course, that's part of the problem for Smith. The NFL just doesn't value off-ball linebackers the way it does cornerbacks or edge-rushers. Per Spotrac, the seventh-highest-paid inside linebacker in the league is Bobby Wagner of the Rams, who averages $10 million per season.

At 32, Wagner is much older than Smith—but he's also much more accomplished and is only in Los Angeles after the Seahawks released him because of his high salary. Only two off-ball linebackers in the league make over $15 million in average annual salary.

For a trade to be viable, the Bears need a partner with the cap space to absorb a Smith extension, a need at linebacker glaring enough to consider paying Smith and the impetus to give up not only all that cash but also quite a bit of draft capital.

It's not a long list. But there are a few teams that come to mind.

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Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have made it abundantly clear that they are all-in on making a deep playoff run in 2022. That became evident when the team traded for star wide receiver Davante Adams. But even after giving Adams a massive $140 million extension, the Raiders are still sitting on $22.3 million in cap space. Only the Cleveland Browns have more.

The Raiders have no shortage of offensive talent, but the team's 19th-ranked run defense is another story. Denzel Perryman had by far the best year of his professional career in 2021, but it marked the first time in seven years that he had even 75 tackles in a season. Youngster Divine Deablo is a converted safety, and free-agent addition Jayon Brown fell out of favor in Tennessee last year.

Adding Smith wouldn't be cheap, in terms of pick(s) or salary. But if he's the missing piece in the puzzle that gets the Raiders into their first Super Bowl since 2002, no one will care even a little what it costs.

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Los Angeles Chargers

The Raiders aren't the only team in the AFC West that has shoved their chips to the middle of the table this year. The Chargers did the same, trading with (coincidentally) the Bears for edge-rusher Khalil Mack and signing cornerback J.C. Jackson in free agency. That spending spree leaves the Chargers with just under $15 million in cap space.

Some wiggle room would need to be cleared to fit Smith under the cap, but it could be done easily enough.

The Chargers may have bolstered their pass rush and secondary this offseason, but the run defense remains a potential problem. In 2021, only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans allowed more rushing yards per game than the 138.9 the Bolts surrendered.

Kenneth Murray has never come close to living up to his first-round draft slot over his two years in the pros. Drue Tranquill is a capable linebacker, but he's not a difference-maker. Linebacker is the clear weak spot on the Chargers new-look defense—a weakness that Smith's addition would turn into a strength.

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Dallas Cowboys

There are a couple of annual constants about the Dallas Cowboys. The team enters each season with one goal in mind: winning the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones has never been even a little bit shy about making splash moves, either.

Also, as it happens, there isn't a team in the NFC that is sitting on more cap space than the $21.6 million the Cowboys possess.

Yes, Dallas already has one star linebacker in reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons. But even with Parsons on the roster, the Cowboys were just a middling defense against the run—16th in the league at 112.8 yards allowed per game.

After suffering numerous injuries, Leighton Vander Esch doesn't have the range he once did. Jabril Cox is a Day 3 pick coming off an ACL tear. Pairing Smith and Parsons would give Dallas the most formidable duo of inside linebackers in the league—and potentially shift the balance of power back in their favor in the NFC East.

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Stats via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted. Salary-cap info via Over the Cap.

Allen Lazard said he's ready for the challenge of trying to replace five-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams as the Green Bay Packers' No. 1 wide receiver.

Lazard discussed his more prominent role in the Aaron Rodgers-led passing attack following Adams' trade to the Las Vegas Raiders on the NFL Network's Good Morning Football.

"Extremely confident. It's something I've been working hard at for the past several years," Lazard said Tuesday. "It's not, like, an unfamiliar role for me. I'm doing it on a different level. I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

"It's not an unfamiliar role for me." - @allenlazard on becoming WR1 in Green Bay @NFLFantasy sleeper? 📈 (via @gmfb) pic.twitter.com/0QoX5ZRC8t

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 9, 2022

Green Bay didn't make any blockbuster additions to its receiving corps after Adams' departure in March, a decision that comes with some risk given the back-to-back MVP seasons that Rodgers produced while throwing to one of the league's best wideouts.

Instead, the Packers are betting on their internal options to step up and fill key roles.

Randall Cobb returned to the team last season, but he played a minor role. It's unclear whether he can still produce at the level he did in 2014, when he recorded 91 catches for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns during the second of Rodgers' four MVP campaigns.

Green Bay invested two mid-round draft picks on rookie receivers: Christian Watson, who's missed the start of training camp with a knee injury, and camp standout Romeo Doubs.

The front office also signed Sammy Watkins, who's flashed playmaking ability across eight NFL seasons but has struggled to stay healthy consistently.

Yet, while the Packers feature solid depth at the position, the key question is whether anyone on the roster can come anywhere close to filling Adams' massive shoes. Lazard figures to get the first crack.

Rodgers told reporters in July he's confident in the 26-year-old Iowa State product:

"He's capable of a lot. And the way things have gone with the reps and the guys that we've had here and the targets that we've doled out, he hasn't had a ton of opportunities. Since his first day here, he's turned heads, so it's not surprising for him to go out and have a really consistent day today. But he's been working hard. He has a lot to prove, to himself, to other people, to the team as well. I like a hungry Allen Lazard. It will be an adjustment for us, but I'm happy with Day 1."

Lazard, who joined the Packers off the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad in 2018, is coming off a solid 2021 season. He recorded 40 catches for 513 yards and eight touchdowns in a complementary role.

Now he'll be tasked with handling a sizable increase from his career-high 60 targets last year while often matching up against an opponent's top cornerback.

How he handles that role in the early weeks of the regular season will likely determine whether he's one of the year's breakout sensations or fades into a time-share.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2021 season, and the 2022 campaign isn't off to a good start with linebacker Roquan Smith requesting a trade on Tuesday:

#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/x4vmOMhROt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2022

The news led to significant blowback over social media:

https://twitter.com/SHAWNxGRANT/status/1556997805742460928

Nooooo. The #Bears NEED to get a deal done https://t.co/V6nyog84NE

— Dan Vasko (@danvasko) August 9, 2022

If bad teams want to attract good players in the future, they should treat their good players well right now. There's more than just 'positional value' at play here. It's a bad look if the #Bears don't reward one of their absolute best players with a new deal. Players talk. https://t.co/sJScFhWYY4

— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) August 9, 2022

The Bears are the most exhausting franchise. I don’t know how you fans put up with them.

— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) August 9, 2022

WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THE BEARS DOING??

Good for Roquan. Absolute stud LB. https://t.co/TBpdfIFh8F

— Will Compton (@_willcompton) August 9, 2022

Roquan Smith has requested a trade from the Bears and I have requested a leave of absence from Bears fanhood

— Ricky Sanders (@RSandersDFS) August 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/nrarmour/status/1557000076924522497

https://twitter.com/mikecoutee/status/1556997970595385345

https://twitter.com/MjKissane/status/1556993370320510976

https://twitter.com/username3689/status/1556996448029495299

https://twitter.com/Nochance5823/status/1556994921667743744

Smart move get as far away from that sorry excuse of a franchise as you can!!

— Mike Ellis (@mikeellis112) August 9, 2022

It’s the bears man what do you expect? We talk about the cowboys not winning but at least they show some form of competence to try to win. The bears have been a travesty with this front office. But i blame the ownership.

— 👑 (@DonCollective) August 9, 2022

It’s not even going to be fun trashing the Bears this year on here.

— Kafka Inconnue (@InconnueKafka) August 9, 2022

Good for you Brodie. Don’t risk your career on aa rebuilding team who doesn’t value you

— Arfeeze (@tahezee) August 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/DPatti1811/status/1556990605225607169

This organization just wants to see how bad it can become 🤦🏾‍♂️

— JOSHNEXTDOOR (@youngtyndall) August 9, 2022

Smith has been one of the few bright spots for the Bears in recent years, earning second-team All-Pro honors in each of the last two seasons. He finished 2021 with 163 tackles, adding three sacks and one interception returned for a touchdown.

Losing the 25-year-old could further hurt a team that went 6-11 last season before trading Khalil Mack in the offseason.

Chicago has a new general manager in Ryan Poles and a new head coach in Matt Eberflus, but major questions remain heading into 2022.