Roquan has impressed us with his mentality and drive to be a great player and teammate every day since he’s been here, and he’s been a leader both on and off the pitch,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “There is certainly a standard of defence in Baltimore, and Roquan has proven that he can surpass that lofty mark.”
Smith’s rookie contract was coming to an end. Smith requested a trade before the season began because the Chicago Bears had not extended an offer to him that he felt was acceptable. Smith had been hoping for a long-term contract from them.
Before the deadline on November 1, the Bears traded Smith to the Ravens for a rumoured second-round pick, despite having previously informed Smith that he was still part of their long-term plans. With an average salary of $20 million, Smith secured the deal he was seeking in Baltimore, becoming him the highest-paid inside linebacker in league history.
In his self-represented capacity, Smith stated that contract negotiations commenced in the middle of December, almost six weeks subsequent to his trade with the Ravens. On the days when the players weren’t playing, he and general manager Eric DeCosta would communicate by email. DeCosta, according to Smith, “kept his word.”
“It wasn’t an easy process, but I have the utmost respect for Eric,” Smith stated. “I think he’s a very fair, honest guy.”
Smith had the option to hold off.
Smith has fulfilled every expectation and then some for the Ravens. He has improved their defence to championship calibre on the pitch. The Ravens were 24th in yards allowed per game and 20th in points allowed per game prior to Smith’s arrival. Since then, they have ranked second in both categories, conceding just 14.7 points per contest.
In his nine games as a Raven, Smith has 86 tackles, two sacks, and one interception. Voted to his first Pro Bowl, he concluded the regular season with the third-most tackles (169) in the league. Despite appearing in just nine games, he was named the team’s MVP by local reporters this week and made the NFLPA’s first-ever player-voted All-Pro team. Even after all of it, he is only 25 years old.
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